Behind the Image: March — Merlin Under the Golden Gate
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.
San Francisco Bay can deliver spectacular sailing—and on this day, it delivered everything: breeze, swell, and a ripping ebb tide pushing out of the Bay. Where the outgoing tide meets the Pacific swell, the water stacks into steep, confused waves.
In other words… perfect conditions for dramatic sailing photography.
We positioned our photo boat just outside the Gate as Merlin prepared to hoist their spinnaker.
The moment the kite filled, the boat lit up.
Full throttle. Surfing.
Exactly the moment I was hoping for.
Holding a position wasn’t easy. My driver had to muscle the boat through the chop and current to keep us lined up. The finished photograph makes it look like we’re farther away than we were—that’s the wide-angle lens doing its job.
From their deck, the crew could see our angle. At first, they looked a little concerned, wondering if they might need to alter course.
Then someone recognized us.
“Oh… that’s Sharon.”
They kept the throttle down.
Merlin came surfing toward us on a wave and blasted past our position before disappearing under the Golden Gate Bridge. One of those frames later appeared on the cover of Sailing World magazine.
The Boat
Designed by legendary naval architect Bill Lee and launched in 1977, the 68-foot ultralight racer Merlin became famous when she shattered the course record in that year’s Transpac Race from Los Angeles to Honolulu.
Her current owner, Chip Merlin, first read about the boat in 1977 and never forgot the name—partly because it happened to be his own. Years later, while searching for a boat to sail the Newport Bermuda Race with his father, he discovered the legendary yacht was for sale. In 2017, he purchased Merlin and returned her to the race course.
A Personal Connection
I first sailed aboard Merlin in 2018 while the team was training in Newport for the Newport Bermuda Race. Chip’s father, a retired Coast Guard admiral, was on board, making the campaign especially meaningful.
Since then, I’ve had the pleasure of photographing the team regularly, covering three Transpac races and several Rolex Big Boat Series with them.
Over the years, we’ve become good friends, which may be why when they see my photo boat lining up for a shot, they keep the throttle down.
Why It Became March
When I select images for the calendar, I look for photographs that capture energy, motion, and a strong sense of place.
A legendary yacht.
Surfing an ebb tide.
Golden Gate Bridge overhead.
That combination made it the perfect image for March in the Ultimate Sailing Calendar.
Fresh to frightening.
