Sailboat Races and Regattas

It took me a while to warm up to this photo. But I kept coming back to it. Aside from the highly technical and complex foiling catamarans, trimarans are the fastest boats on the water. The treatment here exquisitely and creatively captures that. The streaking red and white of the sails and hulls stand out against a dark sky and sea, the latter suggesting the loneliness and unknown dangers that could be encountered in the solo transatlantic Route de Rhum race from France to Guadeloupe. Thanks for your submission and congratulations.

As much as I try in my regatta photos to put the viewer in the boat, there is only one way to do that and that is by being in the boat. Great photo of afterdeck action on the 12 meter America's Cup boat "Stars and Stripes". Shot with an iPhone! Thanks for your submission and congratulations.

I'm a sucker for classic wooden boats, especially those with lots of sails! And here, three different types of boats and rigging.! Great sail detail - you can see each individual panel. And the white hulls and sails stand out against the dull grey Scottish water and sky. Too bad the modern sailboat on the far right was partially blocking Kentra's hull, but thank goodness it didn't have its sails up. Thanks for your entry and congratulations,.

A delightful photo of radio controlled boats racing. They are nicely positioned so one can see the details in each and the calm of the pond allowed for perfect reflections. Enough light was on the boats that they stand out from the brown shore and pond water. A tactical note: from hull and sail angle, it appears 445 is trying to sail under the other two. Good luck with that given no wind. Nice capture. Thanks for sharing and congratulations.

My first thought: Did these sailors have a death wish? The photo details prove the adage "being in the right place at the right time." The lighting gods were shining down on this scene. The band of light cuts across the center focusing one's eyes on the boat and the roiling water to the left. The dark foreground and background help isolate the boat. A minor tech detail: the highlights in the breaking waves and the jib could be knocked down. Otherwise a breathtaking capture. Thanks for your submission and congratulations.

Excellent capture of a group of boats under full spinnaker.. I like that these are small spinnakers and don't hide the boats. Color is great. Looks like a very competitive group (I don't see any stragglers). Very nice. Thanks for sharing and congratulations..

This immediately caught got my attention. How could it not with a color coordinated crew, boat and sail? Beyond that, it is technically spot on: sharp focus, great depth of field, fills the frame, and most importantly captures the action as this boat comes in from a race (note raised arms of man on the right). The Yoles with no keel nor rudder are unique to Martinique. Thanks for sharing this fantastic photo and congrats on first place.

A very strong composition, I might say minimalist, and in this case B&W is a perfect choice. The angling line of boats is the major compositional element and continues with the wind line at the right (the riffles on the water) helping to draw your eye across the photo. No other boats to distract one. The photo elicits questions. Are the boats going to or coming from a race. Why a lead motorboat? To help find the way? And why are all the boats very neatly spaced.? Are they being towed? Their sails are up, so probably not. The shot was clearly taken from above: a helicopter or airplane following the boats or a lucky accidental shot from either? Very captivating image. Thanks for sharing and congratulations.

This is all about light and shadows. The moliceiros are traditional Portuguese hand crafted wooden boats sailed only on the Ria de Aveiro. They have four highly detailed painted panels (note the bows). Choosing to do this in B&W was brilliant. A wonderful photo. Thanks for your submission and congratulations.

Excellent example of straight on bow shot with boat cutting through the water, bow throwing out some spray, and full view of the crew. Yes the mast stay does bisect the skipper's face, but you take what you get. Sharpness and depth of field great. And spot on whites. The grey sea and dull blue sky make the subject stand out. Thanks for your submission and congratulations.