Flight of the Giants
It’s no wonder there was no-one on deck when the December 2021 Ultimate Sailing Calendar images were shot! Exploding through the gnarly seas at wicked speeds, despite being reefed; this massive trimaran (top) is a full-on wash cycle for the crew, who have to steer the boat from within! One-hundred-feet long and 75-feet wide, this carbon fiber monster is one of a handful of Les Ultim trimarans plying the open ocean at earth-shattering speeds.
This month’s images come to you from the North Atlantic, where my daring colleague Thierry Martinez lives and works. And while sailors tell of the demanding nature of these craft – saying ‘There is so much power that if you make a mistake there is no escape … you have to stay on the sheet all the time … when you are at the limit you have less than a second to react …’ – it’s just as demanding to capture on film.
“Ultimo boats are very, very fast, so it’s impossible to shoot them going 40 knots in 8-meter seas, from a motorboat,” explained Thierry. “The heli is the only tool for this kind of image,” he said. But although he declared the pilot “one of the best, in the world;” zooming around in a helicopter in 50 or 60 knots of wind over roaring seas is pretty dicey stuff!
Thierry is a frequent contributor to the Ultimate Sailing Calendar and I am so thrilled to spotlight his exciting work. He grew up in central France in Lyon – far from any sea – but a mid-career switch from technician to photographer landed him a post covering the 1989/90 Whitbread Race (predecessor of the Volvo Ocean Race). That was his launchpad into the world of yachting photography, and since then he has covered most of the great international sailing events including Around Alone, Vendee Globe, America’s Cup, the Olympic Games and more.
“This was the first race in 35 years where I saw boats starting with only a mainsail up!” Thierry exclaimed. Triple reefed in the 40-knot breeze and big seas, the fleet was taking off on the Brest Atlantique Race, called the Flight of the Giants.
This exclusive, hard-core race starts near the westernmost part of France, off Brittany, and follows a 14,000-mile figure eight course south toward Rio de Janeiro, then sweeps east across the Roaring Forties to Cape Town, then back northwest, crossing its own path near the Equator, before returning to Brest. All in 28 days or so!
To capture these shots, Thierry said he used a pair of Canon EOS-1D X Mark II bodies with 70/200mm zoom and 600mm lenses.
When not shooting regattas, Thierry is somewhat of a storm chaser, capturing stock images of stormy seas, brine-swept lighthouses and sail boats battered by strong winds in the tempestuous north Atlantic.
“Before we shoot a stock image we have a long preparation, waiting for a weather window and planning what images we will do,” he described. “We choose the place where the boat will sail, what time – considering light and direction – and the points of sail.”
These images of Macif (top) and Actual Leader (inset) illustrate his mastery of photography in such extreme conditions and I for one am glad Thierry has the courage and talent to pursue these exhilarating shots!
2022 is around the corner!
As we turn the final page on the 2021 Ultimate Sailing Calendar, I thank you once again for your patronage and support, and hope you’ve enjoyed walking through the pages of the calendar with me! For 2022 we have a stirring retrospective of my favorite images over the decades, as I celebrate my 40th edition of the calendar. I hope you’ll come along with me next year too as we walk down memory lane and revisit this vibrant, dynamic era in yacht and sail design and technology together.
Order your 2022 Ultimate Sailing Calendar now at https://www.ultimatesailing.com/collections/calendars.
Wishing you and yours a Happy New Year! ~ Sharon
Also in News
TIME MARCHES ON
Worth the wait
On your mark ... get set ... 2023!
The legendary J-class yacht Velsheda plunges into a surly Mediterranean with might and determination at the top of our January 2023 pages. Much like our entrance to the New Year, this treasured classic battles ahead with hope and determination. It’s what we do!
+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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Sharon Green
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