Some of the best days on the water don’t go according to plan.

I had just flown across the country after another event to photograph the Rolex TP52 World Championship in Newport, Rhode Island. Thanks to multiple flight delays, I didn’t arrive until very late the night before. After only a couple of hours of sleep, I was up early, camera gear in hand, excited for what promised to be a spectacular day on the water.

The March spread in the Ultimate Sailing Calendar features the legendary yacht Merlin charging downwind beneath the Golden Gate Bridge during the Rolex Big Boat Series in San Francisco.