The highlight of the festival was the traditional sail-by.
By JULIANE HELMHOLDUpdated: SEPTEMBER 22, 2018 18:09The traditional sail-by of the Sail Tel Aviv - Yaffo watersports festival which aims to promote marine activities along the 14km shoreline of the city, September 22, 2018. (credit: DORON SAHAR)
On Saturday, Tel Aviv residents and visitors celebrated the largest water sports festival in Israel, Sail Tel Aviv-Yaffo, along the shoreline of the Mediterranean.The festival included a wide range of competitions and activities involving various water sports like sailing, surfing, rowing, swimming, standup paddle boarding, diving, volleyball and many more. In addition, the festival offered tours, workshops, lectures and other attractions related to the sea.The highlight of the festival was the traditional sail-by in which over 200 vessels of different types took part in sailing along the Tel Aviv coastline in the early afternoon of Saturday.Sail Tel Aviv-Yaffo is an initiative of Atarim group, the municipal management and development corporation for the 14 km Tel Aviv Yafo coastline, in cooperation with the Tel Aviv municipality, the forum for the promotion of sailing, the diving association and various water sports clubs.Yaron Klein, the CEO of Atarim, said that "The annual event aims to strengthen the connection between the residents of the city and the the various activities and possibilities that the coastline offers."The festival promotes awareness of marine and coastal sports and gives residents a taste of the extensive marine activity taking place on the city's beaches."