Big Deal, at Big Boat
The Rolex Big Boat Series has been held at St. Francis Yacht Club since 1964. As the name says, it was originally a showcase for the really big boats (and egos) of San Francisco Bay to swagger and lock horns, and has been “must do” for me each September, since the early 1980s.
Strong ocean breezes that collide with the tides make it challenging for the racers, but provide a great opportunity for me to capture really splashy images! Even though the mix of entrants has changed over the decades, and it now draws more of the smaller boats and one-design classes, the Big Boat Series is still one of my favorite and most reliable regattas for capturing spectacular calendar shots.
This year I got to step it up a notch, working as the Official Rolex photographer! St Francis Yacht Club and Rolex really delivered the royal treatment, with my own parking spot right in front of the club, and primo workspace in the media center, with super-duper high speed internet. I had a dedicated photo boat – a speedy 28-foot Protector for me; Tom Day (the famous ski film producer and performer, who was shooting video), and Peter Lyons, social media photographer and assistant. And our mountain of gear! Pat Lopez was our primary driver, zipping us around the courses, which stretched from the Berkeley Circle, past Alcatraz, beneath the Golden Gate Bridge, and along the stunning San Francisco cityfront.
We also had the opportunity to fly for aerial shots … but it’s such a gamble in San Francisco. You never know if that famous fog bank is going to swallow up the race course; if the tide tables will cooperate; if the fleet will sail under the bridge and outside, into the ocean -- the most desirable shots.
But we planned it for Friday – and then races were postponed almost an hour, leaving us little wiggle room! We took the RIB to the starting area to shoot, then zoomed over to Oakland, got an Uber to Oakland airport, and hopped aboard a strapping Bell 407 helicopter for a few hours of aerial shots … all the while communicating with the Race Committee, to make sure we were in the right place at the right time. Awesome! It was a perfectly clear day, and we got gorgeous images.
Afterwards we took a taxi back to the dock where the photo boat was tied up, and blasted back to the yacht club. The Mt Gay Rum party was going on, with food trucks on the lawn scattered with hundreds of sailors. I barely made it to the Media Corps dinner at 8:30 … what a full day! But so exciting, and just what it takes to get the “Ultimate” shots.
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Sailing is a magnificent, colorful and dramatic sport. This unique sport has many variables with the constantly changing elements, sea conditions, boats, events, competitors and locations. The challenge is to capture on film electrifying moments that take your breath away. Those moments and opportunities are very few, but when they happen... it is ultimate sailing." ~ Sharon Green
Sharon Green has been capturing electrifying images of performance sailing for more than 40 years. Her annual Ultimate Sailing Calendar, featuring the highlights of competitive sailing, is eagerly anticipated by yachting and photography enthusiasts worldwide. Sharon has been published in major boating publications, both locally and internationally, since she first took up a camera while still in high school.
The pursuit of 'Ultimate Sailing' images never seems to grow old. Four decades and I still love the challenge of creating memorable images for my clients and the calendar."
Sharon is happiest when she is on the water or hanging from a helicopter in search of the elusive image that can be called 'Ultimate Sailing'. "My greatest satisfaction is when it all comes together: the anticipation, planning, organizing, traveling and epic conditions that combine to create a thrilling photograph.
The passage of time eludes our grasp: we can only look back in awe and look forward in anticipation. Never did I expect, 40 years ago, that my vision of creating the Ultimate Sailing Calendar would endure and provide such an extraordinary life experience. boundless advancements in sailing, and concurrently radical developments in camera and photographic technology, have kept me on my toes and the years have swept by! I find myself at this landmark anniversary: humbled by your patronage and inspired by your support. To my many friends, colleagues, clients, and subjects who have sustained and fueled this endless passion for capturing the ultimate Sailing image, I extend my deepest love and gratitude.
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Sharon Green
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