Associação Náutica do Seixal
Associação Náutica do Seixal (ANS) is a traditional Portuguese water-sports club on Seixal Bay near Lisbon, with its headquarters and nautical facilities on Rua dos Pescadores. The sailing section is the club’s oldest department and one of Portugal’s pioneering sailing centres, providing coaches, equipment and facilities for children, teenagers and families. The programme includes sailing courses for all ages, leisure and racing sailing, plus training in canoeing, rowing and other water sports. Shaped by a long competitive record and major events such as organising the 1992 Iberian Snipe Championship and co-hosting the 1995 Vaurien World Championship, ANS is a reference point for training, community life and sailing on the Tagus bay.
History
The roots of Associação Náutica do Seixal go back to 1 November 1896, when the Associação da Classe Piscatória do Seixal was founded as one of the first associations of its kind in Portugal, based on solidarity and mutual support among fishermen. Between 1940 and 1941 water-sports enthusiasts formed a club; the sports section of the Casa dos Pescadores do Seixal organised hundreds of regattas over 39 years and won hundreds of trophies. In 1948 the crew of Rodolfo Ribeiro, Manuel Pescadinha and João Rosendo won the national Vougas championship in Cascais; in 1952 Rodolfo Ribeiro and Stuart Robim won the qualifying races for that championship. In 1968 Joaquim Henrique and Constantino Cardoso were national Snipe runners-up; in 1973 Carlos Bandeira and Joaquim Henrique won the Centro regional Snipe championship. The sports section was dissolved in 1981 and passed its sporting legacy to Associação Náutica do Seixal, founded on 23 January 1981. Highlights include organising the 1992 Iberian Snipe Championship with municipal support and co-organising the 1995 Vaurien World Championship. Swimming was introduced at the end of 1996 and expanded strongly in 2002/2003; ANS was the first association in the municipality with a federated swimming team. Today the club offers canoeing, swimming, sailing, rowing and water polo.
Information
Activities
Sailing (beginners, advanced, racing, leisure), canoeing (tourism, racing, sea kayak, kayak polo), rowing, swimming, water polo, stand-up paddle, traditional sailing (Raposinho project), recreational navigation licences (Cartas de Recreio).
Youth section
Active youth sailing programme: children and teenagers learn to sail at ANS with coaches and discover wind and sea; the sailing school offers courses for all ages.
Boating license training
Available: 1
Training under the Portuguese recreational navigation licence system (Cartas de Recreio: Marinheiro, Patrão Local, Patrão de Costa)