Our November 2020 Ultimate Sailing Calendar shot is the perfect image to bring in the holiday season. The sailors are bundled against the chill in a frothy sea, but warmed by the golden glow of the sun, which reflects against Nyala’s hull.
This stunning piece of artistry comes from my dear colleague Carlo Borlenghi, whose work we have been proud to feature in the calendar several times.
Carlo is known at the ‘Master of yachting photography’ not for his age (he’s just 64) but for his mastery of this medium. And it’s no surprise he has an eye for beauty! He grew up on Lake Como, Italy, where lush mountains tumble down to crystalline waters, edged with storybook villages. Immersed in such dramatic scenery from such a young age set the bar high, and Carlo has dedicated his life to capturing magnificent images around the globe.
In creating this shot he explained he was purposely looking for the juxtaposition of two yachts, as he trailed Nyala in a RIB off Porto Santo Stefano, Italy. Nyala is a 12 Metre originally launched in 1938, and restored in 1996 by Patrizio Bertelli, CEO of the Prada Group, and an America's Cup Hall of Famer.
Carlo admitted this photo was taken during team training: so it was easier to stay close to the boats than it would have been during a live race. But still it was intense competition as the boats tuned up for the 12 Metre World Championships in Newport, RI.
It was, Carlo reflected, “a really beautiful day with 15 to 20 knots of wind and a perfect cutting light, and I followed Nyala, waiting the crossing with Kookaburra,” finally capturing this image with his Canon 1DX Mark II camera and 100-400m lens.
“It’s always great to have at your disposal a pair of historic boats, with the two crews sailing at the highest level,” he quipped, saying it gave the day an authentic feeling of an America’s Cup Race from years gone by.
And as for Nyala: in Rhode Island Patrizio Bertelli, with Mauro Pelaschier at the helm and 15 other crew jammed onboard the 70-foot classic, led Nyala on to win the World Title in the prestigious Vintage Division: their third World Championship (2008, 2014).
Top level yacht racing, at the most spectacular venues, aboard the most stunning boats in the world: that’s what we endeavor to deliver at Ultimate Sailing.
Sharon Green captured these images during the SailGP Series in San Francisco Bay: a great amphitheater for these super-sonic boats. Between the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, the hills of Marin and stunning city front, add 360-degrees of spectacular backdrop to the excitement of the event.
It’s October, when the world turns golden: the sky, the foliage, even our coffee turns an umber shade, as pumpkin spice abounds! And the October pages of the 2023 Ultimate Sailing Calendar highlight this rich and glowing time of day, when the sun is sinking low, while tenacious sailors eke every morsel out of the last whisper of dying breeze.
Sharon Green
Author