The traditional Nautical Rally of Bahia, one of the most important in the country, celebrated its 10th edition in 2018. Since it first started, more than 200 nautical miles have been sailed in the Baía de Todos os Santos, in competitions marked by camaraderie and sportsmanship. Created by Bahia Marina and the Bahia Yacht Club with their desire to spread the nautical sector in the state, the Nautical Rally brings together boats and jets on December 1st, in its three categories: General, Bahia and Adventure (Aventura). The starting point is at Bahia Marina at 10am, pit stop on Bimbarras Island and a wrap party at the Bahia Yacht Club.
Under the technical coordination of Glênio Cogo, the Nautical Rally has been disseminating the use of GPS in navigation over the years. This year, a mobile application that will gather information about the competition is being developed and is already in the testing phase for Android devices. Another innovation for this year’s edition is that in addition to the individual categories, teams will also get prizes. According to Cogo, the teams that have the best performance, those with best fun participation, characterization and those with greater number of vessels registered in the competition will be rewarded.
Since last year the rally organizers have opted for a route with a more touristic profile, in order to allow the competing teams to contemplate the beauties of the Baía de Todos os Santos and navigate the less explored points of the coast, like Bimbarras Island. Located in the municipality of São Francisco do Conde, the island became part of the event’s route as a pit stop point. At Bimbarras, DJ Chamuska is in charge of the party.
“In these last ten years, the rally has improved, introduced more precise technologies, new routes and new challenges to the teams, has made room for the Adventure category for beginners, and also for jets, which has been conquering more and more fans,” points out Leilane Loureiro, director of Bahia Marina.
According to the Commodore of the Yacht Club, Marcelo Sacramento, with each edition the rally reinvents itself to aggregate old and new generations. “The rally is much more than a sports competition, it is the gathering of people for the sake of a common good – their love for the sea. We don’t lack challenges, but our interest in disseminating the nautical sector is greater and this year we will have a beautiful party in the Baía de Todos os Santos. ”
The Nautical Rally of Bahia is a regularity race, without overtakings. The route is pre-determined by the organization and the goal is for each team to be able to follow the route by keeping the pre-established time averages. Every second is worth a point.
Only boats of 18 feet or more and RunAbout jets (seated), with their documentation up to date with the Navy, are allowed in the race. Interested parties will be able to register by Friday, November 30, at the Bahia Marina and at the Yacht Club administration offices or through the website https: //www.e-inscricao.com/ycb. The fee is R$400,00 for the boats in the categories General, Bahia and Adventure and R$160,00 for jets.
Wrap party
As in every year, the most anticipated moment among competitors is the race wrap party and award ceremony, which traditionally takes place in the party hall of the Bahia Yacht Club. This year, the band Maria Te Viu will open the festivities followed by the main attraction, singer Tatau (former Araketu).
The Nautical Rally is promoted by the Yacht Club and Bahia Marina and is part of the programming for the IV Salvador Sailing Festival, held by the Municipal Government of Salvador, through the Salvador Tourism Company (Saltur).
