Splashy, Bashy Cascais!
February’s image comes to you from Cascais, Portugal! That’s ‘Kesh-Kayssh!’ – a city as exotic and unique as its name.
I was in this beautiful and historic coastal town for the thrilling Rolex TP52 Worlds.
Cascais is Portugal’s Monte Carlo, where bygone aristocrats took their summer retreats, and it’s easy to see why; with sandy beaches, rocky capes, and vividly painted palaces amidst a charming maze of cobbled streets. (Although I’ll admit it was tough wheeling my camera case down those ancient cobblestone roads!)
A long-time port city – it is just west of Lisbon – yacht racing caught on in Cascais in the late 1800s when King Carlos, who loved sailing, began organizing regattas. It has been a favorite venue of sailors since, with King Carlos still commanding the harbor: his bronze likeness poised at the rail, clutching binoculars, watching the spectacle.
Experiencing the atmosphere, culture, and beauty of magnificent venues around the world, and bringing them to our Ultimate Sailing Calendar fans, is one of the things I love most about my job. In the 2020 calendar alone we bring you to Portugal, Saint Barthélemy, San Francisco, Rio de Janeiro, Miami, Palma de Mallorca, and more.
But jet-setting to exotic locations hasn’t always been the case. In 2006, as a single mother with two young children at home, traveling overseas became tricky. That year I introduced some images from a few of my esteemed colleagues to the Calendar, to create an annual portfolio of the best racing images. I really enjoy exploring the myriad of photos submitted and curating the images for the calendar. Even now, though my kids have fledged, I continue to solicit shots from other leading yachting photographers. It keeps the Ultimate Sailing Calendar fresh and lively, with different perspectives, techniques, boats, and venues from across the globe.
And then by chance, when we all have the opportunity to meet at a regatta, the fun really explodes! Like it did in Cascais, when I had the pleasure of shooting with an international set of photographers including Carlo Borlenghi, Luis Fernandez, Nico Martinez, Max Ranchi, and Yoichi Yabe.
Plus Bob Fisher, the great yachting journalist and historian, was there as well!
Cascais juts out into the Atlantic, where the chill Canary Current that sweeps down the coast of Portugal, and a powerful sea breeze combine to create incredible conditions. 
Each morning we would don full foul weather gear, and pull on our hoods before departing the harbor. We were in large open RIBs, 
super-fast and super-splashy! Once you got locked into your position on the boat, it was hard to move, so it was a challenge (but critical) to pick your spot well: to make sure you were situated to get the best shots, but not all the spray! I was constantly drying and cleaning my camera lenses!
Every day of the TP52 Worlds was ‘fresh to frightening’ (my favorite!) as you can see from these images of Provezza featured in February 2020. But the TP52s are sailed by impeccable pros who handle the testing conditions with confidence, resulting in racing which is tight and competitive.
These colorful, romping TP52s are a thrill to shoot, and always a sure pick for the Ultimate Sailing Calendar.
Do you have your 2020 Ultimate Sailing Calendar yet? Send us a snapshot of where it’s hanging, and we’ll post it on our Facebook page: and enter you in a contest to win an Ultimate Sailing cap!
Don’t have yours yet? There are still 11 more months of Big, Bold, Beautiful marvelousness to enjoy, so get yours now, HERE
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Hats off to our esteemed leader: Sharon Green!
Oh, and about that March photo in the 2020 Ultimate Sailing Calendar:
this dramatic shot was captured at the J70 World Championship regatta at Eastern Yacht Club in Marblehead, MA. Sharon said the huge fleet made for thrilling starts and mark roundings – particularly on the first two days when conditions were wild.
2020: Clarity of Vision
What a way to start a new decade! January 2020 opens up with a splash, as the V70 Wizard dashes and crashes across the Gulfstream in this bracing image!
This is one of my ‘new’ favorite and most thrilling images; with an equally thrilling ‘How-did-you-ever-capture-that?’ tale.
Prepared for the Parade
‘How did you get the boats to line up like that?’
I get quite the giggle out of that! But in truth, it is no laughing matter: it takes a lot of planning, logistics, the right photo boat and driver, a lively fleet of boats, and a solid knowledge of yacht racing to get an incredible shot like this!
+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 30 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. In recognition of her extraordinary accomplishments in photography Sharon was awarded an honorary Masters Degree from the prestigious Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara, California, where she lives with her daughter Michaela and son Kieran.
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 pursuit of 'Ultimate Sailing' images never seems to grow old. Three decades and I still love the challenge of creating memorable images for my clients and the calendar."
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