Es Nàutic presents the first edition of the Micro Ruta de la Sal

Last Friday, November 28, the presentation of the 1st edition of this competition was held at the Club Nàutic Sant Antoni. The event promotes autonomous sailing powered by sustainable energies, with the aim of driving innovation in maritime trade.

On the afternoon of Friday, November 28, the presentation of the first edition of the Micro Ruta de la Sal took place in the social hall of the Club Nàutic Sant Antoni, as part of the “Xerrades Essencials” series organized by the club. The race will start on April 5, Easter Sunday, from the port of Sant Antoni. During the event, Andrés Oliva, director of La Ruta de la Sal Rumbo Ibiza and CEO of Enregata, highlighted the reversal of the course compared to the traditional race, as the start will be in the Bay of Portmany. He also reminded attendees that two possible destinations are being considered: Denia (50 miles) and Barcelona (140 miles). The organization will announce its final decision soon.

This is the first long-distance international regatta for unmanned autonomous sailboats, an authentic milestone. The organizer explained that the only comparable precedent worldwide is the Micro Transat, although only one boat has ever managed to finish the course in its 15-year history. However, there is no competition format involving several unmanned autonomous vessels racing simultaneously, which represents both a major challenge and a strong incentive for participating training centers due to its pioneering and disruptive nature.

The regatta will feature autonomous vessels up to 3 meters in length, powered exclusively by wind. Any energy used must be renewable. They will sail on a pre-programmed course without receiving any remote adjustments during the voyage, and they must also carry a symbolic bag of salt. The competition coincides with the 180th anniversary of the original Ruta de la Sal, which in 1846 connected the Pitiusa salt flats with Barcelona. The Micro Ruta reinvents this legacy with the goal of developing new technological systems for maritime transport.

At the beginning of the event, participants were welcomed by the president of the Club Nàutic Sant Antoni, Pep Tur, who emphasized the importance of Sant Antoni hosting La Ruta de la Sal every year and the innovative nature of this new initiative, which will undoubtedly grow over time.

The idea for this race came from Xavier Martínez, a professor at the Faculty of Nautical Studies of Barcelona at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia. He explained that “this project stems from the conviction and need to promote a much more sustainable maritime trade, given that between 80 and 90% of the world’s goods are transported by sea. This requires the development of new technologies to make it possible, such as autonomous navigation, which will eventually prevail.”

Martínez is also the professor leading, alongside a multidisciplinary team of UPC students, the creation of one of the five vessels that will participate in the regatta. Other projects are being developed by the School of Naval and Ocean Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Cartagena, whose team is led by CNSA sailor Albert Bonet, also present at the event, and by the universities of Cádiz and Cantabria. Representatives of these last two institutions presented their projects via videoconference, with contributions from Mario Martín, captain of the University of Cantabria team; Jazmín Deza, communications spokesperson and sailor from Ibiza; and Manuel Romero, captain of the University of Cádiz team.

All these universities have already completed the design phase of their vessels and plan to launch their hulls in the coming weeks, after which they will assemble and test the various components and fine-tune the technology required for proper autonomous operation (GPS, auxiliary systems for sail and rudder control, climate and current adaptation, etc.).

During the presentation, particular attention was drawn to the Ibiza-based project carried out by students from three vocational training centers on the island, as it is the only team not made up of university students. Professors Vicent Colomar (Es Vedrà), who initiated the idea, Joan Ramón (Isidor Macabich), and Jordi Torres (Can Marines) attended to explain the project. Students from Sant Agustí and Eivissa are responsible for telecommunications and robotics development, while those from Santa Eulària are building the vessel. They recently received a €20,000 European grant, awarded by the Ministry of Education and processed by the Balearic Government, which is enabling the project to become a reality.

Luis Gascón, Maritime Captain of Ibiza and Formentera, also spoke, explaining the safety challenges posed by a competition of this nature and the legislative, organizational, and other adjustments that autonomous navigation is already demanding. “Autonomous vessel navigation can provide very interesting synergies for the business sector, the maritime industry, environmental preservation, and maritime professionals. However, there must be very strong coordination between all parties involved: shipbuilding, administration, and operators,” he stated.

For his part, the CNSA sports director, Enrique Mas, expressed the club’s pride in hosting an event of this nature in its inaugural year. He added that prior to the start of the race, a floating showcase will be organized for the public at the Sports Area dock, featuring the participating boats, along with a dedicated village offering information about the projects and hosting various public talks and presentations.