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Localization

Veleiros do Sul is placed in the city of Porto Alegre, capital of Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost state of Brazil that has borders with Uruguay and Argentina. Porto Alegre is placed 1.100km from São Paulo and 1.650km from Rio De Janeiro (via highway), and 1h30min and 2 hours by airplane, respectively.

For those who come by plane

Porto Alegre is equipped with a modern international airport with many daily flights originating in most important centers of the country and neighboring countries. The airport is located on the northern side of the city, where it takes about 40 minutes to reach the southern part, in which Veleiros is located.

For those who come trough land

Veleiros do Sul is located in the Vila Assunção district. It is a residential district, well arborized, calm, and privileged by the proximity of the Guaíba. The main access, for those who come from the central areas of Porto Alegre is through

Beira-Rio avenue

For those who come through water

Veleiros do Sul is located on Guaíba river, on Cristal Bay , between Ponta do Melo and Ponta do Dionízio, more specifically at the northern coast of this “Ponta”. On the Latitude coordinates of 30º 05,680 ' S and Longitude of 051º15,380' W. From the Atlantic Ocean, the access to the club is given through the piers of Rio Grande, in the South coast of Brazil. The navigation between Rio Grande and Veleiros do Sul, of about 163 MN, is made through the Lagoa dos Patos and the Guaíba river, a part of the passage is done through signaled ship canals, for boats with up to 4 meters of gauge. For this navigation the nautical letters N. 2101, 2112, 2140, 2111 and 2109 of the Navy of Brazil must be consulted.

The club’s marina is protected by a pier with the entrance directed toward east. The pier is demarcated in its extremity for Veleiros do Sul’s beacon, with the following characteristics: red flashing light, period of 4s, range of 3 MN, height of 7 m. Veleiros do Sul shelters about 200 boats brought alongside in three wharfs, with drinkable waters, electric energy and 24 hour security. The club has a crane to remove the boats off the water with up to 18 tons, slope for withdrawal of motor boats with up to 45 feet, private workshops for all types of nautical maintenance. According to its nautical traditions, the Veleiros do Sul shelters the visiting boats of other ports for brief periods.

History – Foundation of Veleiros do Sul

The origin of the sailing practice in Porto Alegre is part also of the history of the foundation of the club Veleiros do Sul. In the second decade of the XX century, some pioneer sportsmen sailed through the Guaíba river. Of these sailings, the self-proclaimed “Veleiros Avulsos” started to meet at the Liliput bar in the

Otávio Rocha Avenue
. From the formation of a group came up the first regattas on the Navegantes district. The first official dispute of Porto Alegre was in April of 1934.

However the lack of an appropriate place to shelter the boats, made the entrepreneur Leopoldo Geyer to acquire a land in

Frederico Mentz street
that the group of sailors could use as port and headquarters. The project of the future club was in charge of the Eng. Luiz Pufal. In December 12 of 1934, in one of the usual meetings in the Liliput, Hugo Berta suggested the use of the passage of the Sailor Day, to establish the new society homaging the Navy of Brazil. A supper at Germânia Society was programmed with such purpose. And thus, in December 13 of 1934, was established the Club Veleiros do Sul. After the toasts, Ewaldo Ritter was chosen as the first Commodore.

The headquarters

O Veleiros do Sul is located in an area of approximately 18 he in Crystal Bay, in the Guaíba lake, Porto Alegre. The Club owns a complete nautical structure and therefore outside navigators that venture to internal waters, look for its port for shelter.

Its 1,200 associates make use of modern installations for motor boats, monotype sail-boats and ocean sail-boats. The boats have an anchorage protected by a pier, signaled by a lighthouse that is considered in the Brazilian letters of navigation.

It has three wharfs of armed concrete with capacity for mooring of 190 boats of large size. These wharfs have connections for drinkable water and electric energy.

The Club also has a wide social hall, a thematic nautical bar, a barbecue restaurant, dressing rooms, male and female lodges and four apartments, electronic security system, a set of swimming pools, parks and gardens, as well as a gorgeous wood equipped with a set of barbecue places and complete infra-structure.

Geographic aspects

The Chico Manoel island is placed on the Guaíba, half way between the beaches of Belém Novo and Lami, about 32 km of the headquarters of the Veleiros do Sul. Its thinner end points to the Guaiba Canal and the rounded one for the Tip of the Coatis, of which it is 250 meters away. Its area is of 214.916 m ², and the circumference, from the base of the mount is of 1.930 meters. The culminating height (in prop 15) is of 43 meters. The biggest extension of the island is from east to west, with 754 meters and the minor width, from north to south, with 436 meters.

Beautiful and picturesque, the island has in its contour, rocks or granite boulders of varied sizes. It has about 60 meters of thick sand beach, beyond low weeds capons.

Its bushes are composed of catiquá, camboriú, amarílis, cocão, batinga, laranjeira-do-mato, black and yellow cinnamon, native figueira of small leaf, ipê, guajuvira and other white woods. Also fruitful trees, such as lemon trees, orange trees, plum trees and avocado trees, beyond several timbaúvas and acácias. In the quota of 6 meters, alternations of capons and fields. Its higher point is called “Alto Alegre”, where it’s located the geodesic landmark of triangulation of the island mount.

The island Francisco Manoel, or “Chico Manoel”, as the visitors call it, was always a point of attraction for the sailors in its strolls and excursions throughout the Guaíba. It offers natural shelter from all the winds and its indiscriminate use was causing its gradual depredation. Commodore Mário Bento Hofmeister heard of former-Commodore Jorge G. Bertschinger that the island Francisco Manoel was abandoned and would be opportune to try to add it to Veleiros. In interview with governor Ildo Meneghetti, he showed frank receptivity. Thus, in 30/06/1966, the governor of the State, the financial secretary Ary Burger and the transport secretary Tertuliano Borfill signed the Decree nº. 17946 of concession of the Francisco Manoel island for 99 years to the Veleiros do Sul.