On October 9, the Brazilian Navy’s Naval School (EN), located in Rio de Janeiro, held one of the most traditional nautical events in Latin America: The Naval School Regatta. The race was open to all classes of sailboats and about 400 boats took part in the competition. Held on Sailor’s Day, the competition gathered national and international athletes from several water sports and also had the participation of sailors Marcos Soares, Olympic medalist in Moscow, and Maurício Santa Cruz, renowned sailing athlete.
For the commander of the Naval School, Brazilian Navy Rear Admiral Adriano Marcelino Batista, the Naval School Regatta is an incentive for sports and is relevant for military personnel training. “The Regatta is in its 77th edition and we are very proud of this uninterrupted accomplishment, even during the pandemic years, because maritime activities remained thorough. It is perhaps the most democratic regatta and the biggest in Latin America because it offers the possibility for several classes of sailboats, radio-controlled sailboats, canoes, canoeing, and even adapted sailing to participate. About 1,000 athletes, including military and civilians, participated in the event in various types of boats.”
For the representative of the United States, U.S. Navy Lieutenant Brianne Aiken, “it is always a pleasure to compete with the Brazilians in this event, always so well organized by the EN. We are having a great time. Any time that the U.S. has the opportunity to interact and work with other countries, even more so in this type of event… it’s very important for us to build peace and understanding around the world.”
In addition to activities on the water, the regatta brought together about 3,000 people at EN. The event also included exhibitions of the Brazilian Navy’s Military Organizations and Operational Resources, a presentation of the Police Company’s war dogs, and the Martial Band of the Brazilian Marine Corps.
In the partner nations category, the team from the United States took first place, with Brazil coming in second and Chile third.