Jolt `N Jibe
St. Barth is always where the action is – both on the water and off. Caressed by trade winds and waves that have traveled over 3,000-miles of uninterrupted sea, it is definitely ‘fresh-to-frightening’ all the time. Abundant sunshine and average temps that never dip below 74’ F make it the perfect place for yachts to romp in the winter. And ashore the vibe is just as lively, with swanky parties and “plenty of rosé,” Sharon Green admits, when talking about her assignment at Les Voiles de St. Barth Richard Mille (LVSB), where she captured these stunning images for the June pages of the 2023 Ultimate Sailing Calendar.
Jolt (top image) is a TP52 owned by the CEO of Richard Mille – a Swiss luxury watch company – and you can see a snippet of their splashy logo on the mainsail. Richard Mille has been involved in LVSB since the regatta’s inception and became title sponsor 2019. It stands to reason that the premier maker of exquisite timepieces (that start in the six-figures) would align with one of the premier yachting events on the globe!
This photo was captured during a practice race. It had been blowing for days and the seas were huge. Even so, Sharon was so anxious to get out on the water and zoomed out: even though all they could do was try to intercept the race boats; never catch them!
Chase boats were in short supply during the event, so Sharon reports she had to charter the water taxi as a photo boat! “It was insanely wet, so after a while they would find a calm inlet, anchor, or grab a mooring and put out a huge lunch spread, including rosé.
It was so funny and charming, but actually drove me nuts, because I didn’t want to miss anything on the racecourse!” she confesses. 
The vertical image shows bowman Scott Beavis – a many-time Olympic medalist –clinging on as the 88-foot maxi Rambler plunges through the waves. This shot was clearly captured by helicopter: the only way to keep up with this speedster. ‘Especially when you consider Rambler 88 holds the record for the 47-mile course between Saint Barth and Tintamarre (St. Maarten): 3 hours 01 minutes and 58 seconds! The images were captured with the Canon 1Dx Mark II, shooting at 1/1600 sec F 8 ISO 320.
Launched in 2010, LVSB has become one of the most prestigious regattas in world and is one of the keystone events in the recently introduced Caribbean Maxi Challenge, which also includes RORC Caribbean 600 and the St Maarten Heineken Regatta. You can see why yachtsmen and women from around the globe come to enjoy the superb competition, conditions, and festivities of this extraordinary event.
On a completely different note: I subscribe to a newsfeed with the keywords ‘Ultimate Sailing’ and a few weeks ago the following headline popped up in my inbox. “How one woman's life of adventure led to victory in the ultimate sailing challenge.” Although not about Sharon and our Ultimate Sailing brand, we agreed this was worth a mention!
On April 27 Kirsten Neuschafer sailed her 36-foot Cape George Cutter boat across the finish line at Les Sables-d’Olonne, France, after a 235-day circumnavigation, to win the Golden Globe Race. The special rules of this marathon require competitors to forego modern technology and use only circa 1968 equipment and practices to race around the world non-stop. Kirsten halted only briefly to rescue a fellow competitor in the Indian Ocean before she carried on and fulfilled her mission – winning: and one of only three remaining entrants, from the original field of 16. We are proud to share the ‘ultimate sailing’ designation with Kirsten, and applaud her outstanding accomplishment!
PPL PHOTO AGENCY – COPYRIGHT FREE for Editorial Use 2022/3 Golden Globe Solo non-stop Round the World Yacht Race prize giving 24/06/2023 Les Sables d’Olonne, France. South African yachtswoman Kirsten Neuschäfer, winner of the 2022/3 Golden Globe Race, is greeted by the crowds when taking to the stage to collect her trophies. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Bishop/GGR/PPL
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UPLIFT, DOWN UNDER
Love (and the iQFOiL) is in the air
Don’t you just love the new Olympic Class iQFOiL windsurfer? This super-sonic fleet featured in the February pages of the 2024 Ultimate Sailing Calendar will makes its Olympic debut at the 2024 Games: bringing a whole new level of excitement as they fly around the racecourse!
+About Ultimate Sailing
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.
View the images by clicking the 40th button
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