Thirty, Flirty & Fun!
There was a time people used to say, ‘Don’t trust anyone over 30!’ Well you can trust this: the Melges 24 turns 30 in 2023 and is here to stay! The ease and excitement of this thrilling sportboat has endured as a leading craft for high-performance yet fun one-design racing.
The April images in the 2023 Ultimate Sailing Calendar depict just that! History notes this diminutive 24-foot lightweight was spurred by the America’s Cup. After America3’s win in 1992 sailors were ready for the high-tech, high-performance developments to trickle-down to our level. With that in mind, Buddy Melges teamed up with designers John Reichel and Jim Pugh to translate these engineering, design and material advancements into the sporty and affordable Melges 24.
“The Melges 24 was a global phenomenon when it was introduced: it was so leading edge at the time!” says Sharon Green. “And I have been photographing them ever since: from the first big event in San Francisco, to the Southernmost Regatta featured here in April 2023.”
The Southernmost Regatta – sort of a spin-off from the popular Key West Race Week – takes place in the waters just south of beautiful Key West. “The weather was fantastic, starting out with a few fresh-to-frightening days, but lightening up as the week went on,” Sharon explains. That span of conditions tested the crews who came from all across the US and Canada, and even included teams from Italy, Great Britain and Germany!
This fabulous fleet of global talent was due, in part, to the Melges 24 World Championship regatta which would take place in a few months in Ft Lauderdale. ‘What better place to practice than Key West!
“Photographing a one-design fleet, even with a lot of white boats and white sails, is exciting because of the close racing,” says Sharon. “For sportboats such as the Melges 24, it’s just exhilarating to wait on the layline after they do a bear-away set … I usually position the photo boat well past the set point and capture the racers as they stack up, trying to find their lane, and also as they line up with full spinnakers, and plane down the course.”
That positioning is tricky, especially with so many boats in the class. “We were in an agile rib with Walter Cooper driving, so in excellent hands. At one point we set up right in front of the fleet so they were coming directly at us, then slowly – without a wake –
slid off to weather, to capture the fleet as they sailed by and away. A stunning angle, but kind of dicey if you don’t have the perfect driver and boat,” adds Sharon.
“Don’t try this at home!” she laughs.
Both images in the 2023 April pages of the Ultimate Sailing Calendar were shot with the mirrorless Canon EOS R5 at 1/3200, F8, ISO 400; Lens RF 100-500 4.5-7.1L IS. “The mirrorless digital cameras have quickly become some of my favorites, for their light weight and accuracy. It certainly makes traveling and handling equipment on the water so much more of a breeze!”
WHERE IN THE WORLD IS SHARON GREEN?
Sharon was recently spotted at Los Angeles Yacht Club, photographing the Port of Los Angeles Harbor Cup Regatta! She came as a special guest photographer with one particular subject in her crosshairs: niece Rachel Green, racing with the Queen’s University Team from Kingston, Ontario Canada. “Go Gaels!”
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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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