Day with the Photog

I went on the water Tuesday, which proved to be big breeze and big lump. Add in the clear skies and Key West waters, and you have a dream day for the photographers. Acura Key West tends to attract the best, and many included regularly in Scuttlebutt (Thierry Martinez, Onne van der Wal, and Tim Wilkes) are in attendance to capture the event.

On this day I joined a member of this elite group, Sharon Green, whose photos have been apart of the sport for as long as I can remember, and often is known for the riveting images in her Ultimate Sailing calendars. After slogging through the big seas to reach the weather mark, we all figured that it might be wise not to do that again, so as to avoid losing our breakfast during the course of the day (only one casualty amongst us... and thankfully it wasn't me).

The jockeying for position amongst the photographers reminded me of surfers in a wave lineup, trying to gain the advantage to catch the best wave. Sharon commented on the importance of the boat driver, but her calm and pleasant directions likely are part of the secret as well. She knew just where to be based on how the fleet approached the mark, and once the fleet arrived, the huge cameras come out of the waterproof containers, lenses get a quick wipe, and then it is a click-a-thon to seek out the moments that lift the sport from the water to the image.

We posted a lot of her images in the Scuttlebutt gallery, which successfully transcended the day on the water, and created a lasting impression of how exciting and beautiful the sport can be on a very rough and exhausting day. - Craig Leweck