Travessia do Clube Náutico

In the 18th century, a Portuguese astronomer navigating the Tietê River allegedly gazed upon a mountain range and witnessed a reflection of the sun so intense he envisioned a city that had yet to exist. He called it the 'Morada do Sol', or the Abode of the Sun. Today, swimmers who gather at the Clube Náutico Araraquara participate in an event held under this same relentless, expansive sky. The name of the city itself, Araraquara, originates from the Tupi-Guarani term 'ararakûara', meaning 'lair of the macaws' or 'burrow of the termites', a nod to a landscape once teeming with life long before the city expanded into the central region of São Paulo.

Geology and the Water

As you enter the water, you are not merely swimming in a lake; you are floating above the Guarani Aquifer, one of the most significant groundwater reservoirs on the planet. The proximity of this aquifer to the surface defines the region's hydrogeology, feeding the very basin where this competition takes place. While you navigate the 500m, 1000m, or 3000m courses, look toward the horizon to spot the slightly undulating, tabular topography of the Mogi-Guaçu River basin. These slopes are composed of basaltic and sandstone layers, remnants of massive lava flows that occurred during the Mesozoic era. Beneath your path, the earth preserves traces of a far older history, including fossilized tracks of the Farlowichnus rapidus, a dinosaur that once roamed this terrain when it was an arid desert environment.

Race day conditions

This annual event, organized by the Clube Náutico Araraquara, typically takes place in mid-December. The water conditions remain stable, influenced by the inland climate of the state of São Paulo. Swimmers should prepare for the specific light conditions of the 'Abode of the Sun', where the reflection on the water can be intense throughout the morning. The event serves as a focal point for the local community, utilizing the club's infrastructure to manage the field across all three distances. Participants often find that the stillness of the water contrasts sharply with the history of the land, which for much of the 20th century was colored by the dark 'myth of the serpent', a folklore born from the social tensions of the 1897 'Lynchamento dos Britos'. By the time the starting signal sounds, the only movement in the water is that of the athletes following their own lines across the reservoir.