What to wear on a sunset sail in Rio, from deck to dusk

What to wear on a sunset sail in Rio is simpler than it looks: light clothes for a warm afternoon, swimwear underneath if you plan to jump in, and one warmer layer for when the sun has gone. The sail sold on this site recommends, without making it mandatory, sunscreen, a towel if you want to swim, a hat, sunglasses and comfortable shoes. That list covers most of what you need.

Think of the evening as a bright half and a dark half. Early on you sit in strong light on open water, so loose cotton or linen, a brimmed hat and sunglasses do the work. Once the sun drops behind the city, the breeze on the bay feels cooler than the streets you left, and a light jacket or long-sleeved shirt deserves its spot in your bag.

Leave the heavy bag and the smart outfit at the hotel. A deck is not the place for heels, long skirts that catch the wind or anything you would mind getting splashed. Shorts or a sundress, a swimsuit underneath, a shirt or light jacket and flat shoes will see you comfortably from the marina gate to dinner afterwards.

The evening chill on the water surprises people who have spent the day on a hot beach. A speedboat operator on the bay goes as far as putting a jacket on its own advice list, warning of a nip in the air once you are afloat. Wind over open water, spray from the bow and wet swimwear after a swim all add to it, even in a warm month.

The season matters too. Riotur describes June to September as the dry season, with cooler temperatures and little rain, so a sweater or light fleece is worth packing then.² December to March is when the showers and the muggy air arrive: a thin rain jacket beats a warm layer in those months, and it doubles as a windbreaker after dark.³

A windproof layer that packs small is a very useful thing to bring on any sunset sail, and the same advice answers what to wear on a sunset boat ride by speedboat or catamaran, where the wind of speed adds to the breeze. Put it on as soon as you feel the breeze, not when you are already cold, and keep a dry T-shirt in your bag to change into after the swim stop. Sitting in a wet swimsuit as the sun goes down is a sure way to spoil the finest part of the evening.

Out on the bay the sun hits harder than the cooling breeze suggests. The CDC notes that UV rays reach you on cloudy and cool days and reflect off surfaces such as water and sand.⁴ Brazil's National Cancer Institute adds that UV reaches people directly, scattered across an open sky and reflected by the surroundings, which describes an afternoon on a boat rather well.⁸

Put on broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher before you leave for the marina, not once you are on board.¹ Reapply after the swim stop. For the most protection the CDC suggests a hat with a brim all the way round, shading face, ears and neck, and wrap-around sunglasses, which stop UV rays from the side.^9,10

This is not a trivial point in Brazil. INCA names excessive sun exposure as the main risk factor for skin cancer, and non-melanoma skin cancer as the most frequent tumour in the country.¹¹ A hat with a chin strap stays on in the wind; a light long-sleeved shirt protects better than any lotion for the first hour, when the sun is still high.