Symmetry and splash!
One-design racing – as featured in the August 2022 pages of the Ultimate Sailing Calendar – provides a thrilling and unique indulgence for a photographer. Not only are the starts and mark roundings always so close and exciting, but the symmetry of the lines and designs creates an extraordinary artistic opportunity. The harmonious arrangement of shapes and forms is like a visual metronome, as the conformity of hulls and sails contrast with the incongruous sea and sky. Light, lines, shapes, shadows … it is such an incredible delight to be able to create works of art like these, in the midst of a yacht race!
At the top, a fleet of J/70s dash off the starting line on the first day of Key West Race Week. I’ll admit, this was the one time I actually liked the uniformity of all-white boats and sails!
That morning, as we headed out on our super-sonic photo boat, storm clouds were looming on the horizon. My big question in capturing a start always is: do I position myself at the committee boat end or pin end of the start line? Followed by the next big question of which lens to choose. Do I want to shoot tight with a big zoom lens, or wide angle? It’s never an easy answer!
On this foreboding morning I decided to set up on the pin end: with the dark sky in the background, but the boats still illuminated by a sliver of sunlight. We jockeyed for the perfect position, thanks to skilled driving by our captain Mike Weinhofer: not directly at the pin, but slightly upwind. It was here, an instant after the start, that the racers lined up smartly. Of course, not every start is so perfectly organized like this one! But the J/70s – still fairly new at this point – were well-sailed by talented sailors who were spot-on with their timing.
As you can see the image is compressed, because of the telephoto 200-400mm lens with 1.4 extender I chose, shooting at an exposure of 1600 shutter speed with an f6.3 aperture, ISO 320 on a Canon 1DX. I remember the fleet got off the line impeccably, but after they rounded the windward mark and returned downwind, the squall hit! The tender J/70s were no match for the blasting breeze: it was like watching the shoot-a-duck game at a carnival.
The boats broached in rapid succession – Bam! Bam! Bam! – flattened by the gusts. No-one was injured or damaged, but it was a gnarly intro to Key West Race Week 2014!
The bottom image also illustrates the striking beauty of symmetry, with these twin bows leaping out of the waves during Kenwood Cup 1994. This was truly a fresh-to-frightening day (my favorite!) off the shores of Waikiki.
I was working alongside the great photographer/videographer Laurie Gilbert, and we were in a huge power boat bashing to weather. We had set up at the windward mark to capture the close action and skill of the competitors as they approach the buoy; here with the bowman creeping forward in ferocious seas, preparing to launch the spinnaker pole.
Every aspect of yachting photography has its unique appeal, but the creativity a one-design fleet provides is especially rewarding to my calling as a visual artist.
Do you want to see more Ultimate Sailing? I am going to be at the Block Island Film Festival September 10 at 3:45PM when the documentary short film “Fresh to Frightening - The Sharon Green Story” will be featured, followed by a Q&A. I’d be thrilled to have you join us. For full details and tickets go to https://blockislandfilmfestival.org See you there!
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+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.
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Sharon Green
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