Behind the Image: May — Flying on San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay has a way of putting on a show.
On a clear day, the Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most recognizable backdrops in sailing. On this day, a band of fog settled across the towers, softening the scene just enough to make the bright colors of the SailGP fleet stand out even more dramatically.
The May spread in the 2026 Ultimate Sailing Calendar features a striking image by Portuguese photographer Ricardo Pinto, whose work captures both the beauty and intensity of modern racing. Ricardo has a knack for being in exactly the right place when speed, light, and action come together.
2026 Ultimate Sailing Calendar - Oracle SailGP Championship Event 5 Season 2025 San Francisco - Ricardo Pinto
And in SailGP, action comes fast.
The F50 catamarans seem to defy logic. Lifted clear of the water on hydrofoils, they skim across the Bay at speeds that would have been hard to imagine in a sailboat not that many years ago. With national flags displayed prominently on their towering wing sails, the fleet looks like an international parade moving at highway speeds.
From a distance, the scene appears almost graceful.
Spectators enjoy the racing from the SailGP Race Stadium Grandstands, San Francisco , California, USA.
Up close, it is anything but.
The companion image for May offers a sailor’s-eye view: a wall of spray explodes over the bow, the crew disappears behind a curtain of water, and everyone onboard is focused on keeping the boat moving at full speed.
That contrast is what makes SailGP so compelling.
From shore—or through Ricardo’s lens—the boats appear sleek and effortless. Onboard, the experience is wet, loud, and relentless.
Rockwool Racing (Denmark), Switzerland SailGP Team, Spain SailGP Team. San Francisco, California, USA. March 2025. Photo: Ricardo Pinto for SailGP.
San Francisco is the perfect venue for this kind of racing. Strong breeze, current, and steep chop reward precision and punish mistakes. Add the Golden Gate Bridge and the city’s trademark fog, and the result is unmistakably San Francisco.
Ricardo Pinto’s photographs capture both the scale of the setting and the intensity of the moment.
One image shows the fleet in perfect formation beneath an international landmark.
The other reminds us that at 50 knots, there is no such thing as a dry ride.
Photos © Ricardo Pinto for SailGP: San Francisco, California, USA. Rolex SailGP Championship Event 5 Season 2025.
Ricardo Pinto | SailGP photographer
The Ultimate Sailing Calendar is a perennial favorite of sailors worldwide, featuring extraordinary images from top sailing photographers around the globe.
