If the history of the Bahia Nautical Rally were a movie, it would begin to be told by the gathering of dreamers who wanted to see Bahia on the route of national nautical events and also to promote the 1.233 km² of beauty of the Baía de Todos os Santos, one of the most beautiful bays of Brazil. From the partnership between the Bahia Yacht Club and Bahia Marina, the competition known  for its nautical precision, celebrated its 10th edition by making history with the record number of 74 registered vessels – between boats and jet skis – with an audience of more than 500 people, bringing together crew and spectators in a full day of competition and celebration at sea and on land.

With one-minute start intervals, beginning with the jets and, subsequently, the boats, all vessels  followed a route starting from Bahia Marina at 10am, going through scenarios such as the Lacerda Elevator, Mercado Modelo and Monte Serrat, until arriving at the charming and quiet Bimbarras Island, exclusive paradise, only 40 minutes by boat from Salvador. After a six-hour  race, competitors headed for the Yacht Club for the awards ceremony and closing party.

Champion in the categories General and Bahia, Tony Granjo rose to the podium in almost all the editions of the Bahia Nautical Rally. “I ran car rallies and when the Yacht and the Marina brought the idea of ​​a rally at sea I saw that there was a similarity, with practically perfect averages. The challenges at sea are bigger, we have winds, currents, but today the technology is in our favor.” Tony remembers that he had to carry a device to orient himself on the boat. “In the past, I needed a computer, inverter, extension and I still had to find a way to set the screen and protect it all from the sun. Nowadays  a tablet is all you need to be able to follow instructions from the app.”

The Commodore of the Yacht Club of Bahia and founder of the Rally, Marcelo Sacramento, recalled how it all began. “Looking back and reliving those ten years of Rally is really like a movie that goes through my head; the day a club member told me about nautical rallies and events that took place in the south of the country, followed by the invitation of partnership with Bahia Marina, and all the technical information we had to learn. Being here today, taking part in such a professional competition and at the same time so festive, is a dream come true!”

The director of Bahia Marina, Reynaldo Loureiro, celebrates the ten years of the Nautical Rally. “It’s a great achievement to see the technical evolution of the nautical rally, as well as to contribute to the dissemination of the destinations and tourism potential of the Baía de Todos os Santos. Congratulations to all teams for their performance and sportsmanship.”

Women in the sea

Traditionally with predominantly male participants, the nautical rally counted this year with an all-female team and a competitor representing the female strength in the Jet category.

The team “As Meninas”, composed by Leilane Loureiro, Lícia Loureiro, Tata Mott, Beatriz Loureiro and Carmen Mak performed beautifully at the debut of the Nautical Rally of Bahia. They studied the race, calculated the tables with all the nautical coordinates, and deservedly won the third place in the Adventure category with a 30-foot boat. “Our intention was to have fun and to sail safely, following the predetermined hourly speed rules. This award was the result of determination and teamwork. It was a very beautiful day, celebrated with friends and family. We were very happy with the result,” said team captain Leilane Loureiro.

Gleise dos Santos, the only female competitor in the jet ski category among the 349 men from the same marina, celebrated the experience. “A learning experience and at the same time an adventure that I will not forget,” she says.

Mobile app

From Rally competitor to Android developer, Danilo Reggo turned his difficulties in past races in an application that could help all participants. Launched this year, the Kraken Rally was used by 31 competitors. “Including the top three in the categories Bahia, General and Jet,” adds Danilo.

It was such a success  that the idea now is to take the application to other nautical races, according to the software ‘s creator. “With a design that enables easy interaction with the user, the app has a lightweight processing and has come to unify jets and speedboats in its use for navigation, “he explains.

For Danilo Reggo, the good use of the application increases the security of the race, making it easier for competitors to follow the speed averages for each stretch, in the time and route determined by the organization, in addition to having a more accurate idea of each boat’s participation in the competition.

The Kraken Rally is available for free for Android at the Google Play online store. Each user will only pay for the specific worksheet of the each event they’re attending.

Nautical Tourism

In love with the sea, Marcos Rupollo and his partner Ana Maria Heyse return for the third time to Bahia to compete in the Nautical Rally. “Three things make me return to this land. First is my passion for the sea, then comes the hospitality of the people who know how to party and also specializes in this type of event, rivaling other races at the South with technique and organization,” says Rupollo.

The Nautical Rally began to integrate in its route the region of San Francisco of the Conde, by its nautical potential and the almost unexplored nearby islands. An example is the Bimbarras Island, an exclusive destination chosen by the organization of the Rally for the Neutral Point, a moment of relaxation for the teams. Calm and crystalline waters, music and acarajé snacks made the perfect set for competitors to renew their energies with some swimming before returning to the race for their final destination at the Yacht Club. The anticipated awards ceremony was opened by the female samba grup Maria Te Viu and finished  with a taste of Carnaval, with the greatest hits by Tatau, former singer of Banda Araketu.

Promoted by the Yacht Club and Bahia Marina, the Bahia Nautical Rally is part of the IV Salvador Sailing Festival, held by the Municipal Government of Salvador, through the Salvador Tourism Company (Saltur). The event is supported by the Tribuna da Bahia, Happy Tour and Revista Nautical.

Winners

Category General:

1st Tony Granjo and Danilo

2nd Daniel Júnior and Diogo Lima

3rd Luiz Fernando and Darlan Ribeiro

Category Bahia:

1st Tony Granjo and Danilo

2nd Daniel Júnior and Diogo Lima

3rd Luiz Fernando and Darlan Ribeiro

Category Adventure:

1st Osvaldo Cruz Neto and Osvaldo Cruz Júnior

2nd Bruno Goelzer and Alexandre Chaves

3rd Leilane Loureiro and Lícia Loureiro

Category Jets:

1st Eduardo Ghirotthi

2nd Adriano Augusto Borges and Manuela Sampaio

3rd Bruno Jacob and Leonardo Jacob