The successful rejuvenation of Araruama Lake is celebrated with the 2010 Rio Formula World Festival.  Next week, the State of Rio de Janeiro represented by the beautiful city of Araruama, known worldwide for its lagoon, expects to receive more than 200 athletes of all nationalities.[more]

In 1999, the lake was pronounced as “dead” by environmentalists as untreated sewage poured into its waters, which ended in the deaths of fish and the overproduction of algae.


After years of action, the lake now has now become “the postcard of the city”,
Between 2003 and 2005, the INEA invested $ 100 million in treatment works.
In parallel to this, the state government of Rio de Janeiro invested $ 60 million to clean up the Channel Itajuru and increased span of the bridge from 30m to 300m, which improved the link with the sea. The second phase of installing the sewer system began in 2008 and ending in 2010, with almost 100% of homes served. As a direct result of all this investment, the lake is now a thriving ecosystem, the population’s economy and quality of life has improved as more than three thousand families depend on fishing in the region, water shortages and sanitation issues have been resolved, and the tourists have returned to this beautiful region.


Accredited school Upwind,  based in Praia Seca, Rio de Janeiro for years, will host the 2010 Rio Formula World Festival in Araruama, chosen for its strategic location (less than 140 kms from Rio de Janeiro), perfect weather conditions with strong winds constant all year round, and excellent infrastructure to host the athletes.


The Brazilian Association of Windsurfing (ABWS), the highest body of the sport in Brazil, promotes Brazilian windsurfing in all its forms.  Brazil has professional athletes who have excelled winning world titles in various windsurfing categories – for example, Kauli Seadi (Wave world champion), Ricardo Campello (freestyle world champion), Bimba (former world champion and fourth in the Olympics Mistral Athens – 2004), Wilhelm Schurmann (currently fourth in the world ranking Formula Windsurfing), Christina Mattoso (former world champion and former women’s Mistral Olympic representative), among others.


FORMULA EXPERIENCE is the fastest growing sport in Brazil.  Recreational sailors quickly reach a technically perfect sailing level. However, by contrast, when in competition, it’s one of the most demanding and selective classes, given the requirements for technical, tactical and physical aspects of sailors, to take up the maximum performance of the equipment.
 
FORMULA EXPERIENCE allows sailors to participate in the world of competitions with a relatively low cost due to constraints in the construction of equipment provided in the class rules, leading to success worldwide.


We look forward to welcoming you to Araruama to compete with the world’s best.