No- No- No-vember?
Can you believe it’s already November? The year has flown by … but luckily we have a page-turner like the Ultimate Sailing Calendar to brighten and inspire every day!
Our spectacular November 2024 calendar images were captured by Sharon Green at Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez in France during a particularly spicy season. Several days of racing had been canceled due to the mistral: a cold, blustery wind that blows from the southern coast of France, sweeping the Mediterranean with winds of 30 to 60mph!
But finally, Sharon said, they were graced with a day where, “the sturdiest of the classics could go out,” and she captured these stunning images of Shenandoah of Sark.
"My goal when photographing classic beauties like this is to get interesting wide-angle compositions,” Sharon said. “It is very different than shooting the ‘in your face’ style of modern yachts.”
“At this regatta we had access to a variety of small chase boats which was fantastic, as when you’re photographing a mammoth classic like this, an agile drive can get you in close. That’s when it’s really wonderful to use a wide-angle lens and capture the full might and glory of the yacht.”
For the top image on November’s pages in the 2024 Ultimate Sailing Calendar, Sharon used her Canon EOS 5D Mark IV body with a 19mm lens, aperture 8 and shutter 1/1,600, ISO 320. The inset photo, below, was captured with the Canon R5 EOS mirrorless camera with a 24mm lens, aperture 4, shutter 1/2400 ISO 100. “On these spectacular yachts, I also like to use a slow shutter speed. This takes a steady hand and a great driver to be able to capture sharp images, especially in these conditions,” she added.
“A major problem covering a regatta in Saint-Tropez is the sizeable spectator fleet of massive boats packed with onlookers, always getting in the way,” Sharon continued. “It’s a challenge for our photo boat driver to position us so those boats are out of the shot – which has put us in some predicaments! At one point while we were moving alongside a classic yacht on a windy downwind leg, the driver got in too close and the spinnaker and sheets landed on our RIB! I had to duck to avoid getting lassoed with a sheet as we sped away. It was quite close.” Another time, she reported getting so bounced around in the chase boat, a minor injury sent her to the emergency room! (Luckily it was not serious .) Oh the things Sharon will do to ‘get the shot!’
Another ordeal is shoreside, with the Cote d’Azur’s ‘charming’ accommodations being tiny and up several flights of stairs. “Both times I’ve been in St. Tropez my rooms were accessed by steep spiral staircases: what a nightmare getting my photography equipment up and down the stairs!”
But then, there’s the scenery and ambiance of the French Riviera; the food, the wine, the people-watching … ahh. “The yachts are med-moored (end-tied) in the harbor and crowds of spectators come down to admire them,” Sharon said. “Most of the boats are over 100 years old and have plaques and posters describing the details of the construction, and the crew are more than happy to talk about the history, restoration and so on. In the morning when the fleet docks out, a bagpiper plays as they parade out of the harbor. And in the afternoon when they return, many have big parties onboard.”
Shenandoah of Sark is a three--masted gaff topsail schooner measuring 180-feet overall. Her waterline is 107-feet, beam 27-feet, and draft 15-feet. Originally constructed in 1902, and most recently refit in 2019, she weighs in at 178-tonns!
“As much as I love the splash and dash of photographing cutting edge racing machines,” Sharon summed, “there’s something about being in the presence of these traditional beauties, and capturing their power and grandeur, and sharing this in the Ultimate Sailing Calendar.”
And now is the time to see what Sharon has in store for us in the 2025 Ultimate Sailing Calendar! This thrilling new edition is available now: the perfect gift for the sailors on your holiday shopping list – and for yourself! Go to: www.ultimatesailing.com
Also in News
M & M
It’s a twofer! We’ve combined Ultimate Sailing Calendar’s March and May features into one blog because all of these spectacular images were taken by the same dynamic duo who make up Sailing Energy: Pedro Martinez and Jesús Renedo! And all were photographed at the bustling Trofeo Princessa Sofia regatta in Palma de Mallorca.
Royal Blue
Oh, that water! That sparkling, rich royal blue that caresses the yachts as they hurtle toward Honolulu on the Transpacific Yacht Race, as depicted in the April 2025 pages of the Ultimate Sailing Calendar.
Maxed Out
We have excitedly shared Gilles’ exquisite work before in the Ultimate Sailing Calendar, and this month focus on the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in Porto Cervo. Here an impressive fleet of more than 40 behemoth, majestic maxi yachts battled their rivals and the seas, off the blustery coast of Sardinia.
+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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Betsy Senescu
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