PHOTO GALLERY October 15, 2020

Perhaps the best sailing photos of the 21st century

Admiring the Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image 2020 nominees

«Curtain! Teamwork. Red spinnaker coming down. This is very symbolic for this year: red is the color of danger, a stop sign. Now we are all waiting for the day when the curtain goes up again. Anxiety is still in our hearts, and the future is full of uncertainty. Will that red signal remain next year as well? » - ponders the author of the photo taken during the Les Voiles de Saint Tropez regatta in France.

Roman Lutsenko during one of the regattas of the water sports festival «Sevastopol Sails». « Sailing Sagittarius» - that's how the author of the photo named him.

«The photo was taken with a wire. This shot clearly conveys the speed of the windsurfer and his desire to win»,

Sunset during the Nord Stream Race offshore race in the Baltic Sea.

«This picture was taken during the preparatory days before FanagoriaCup 2014. The young windsurfers were training, they were sincere and not worried about the competition. The photos of the athletes were taken in shallow water. Their tangible efforts, a very strong wind and the choice of a non-standard point for shooting allowed us to get this emotional shot», - says the author of the photo.

«You may see a lot of aerial shots, or spray shots, or storm shots, but none of them will be like this one. This shot was taken during the Rolex TP52 World Championship. What makes it special is that it captures monotype boats with exceptional potential going to their limits. This photo shows just how tight the battle can be during a race. You can literally measure the distance between the boats and it will be the same»,

«Buck's Tim Harrold unfurls his spinnaker on the ASM Shockwave 5 off the coast of New South Wales on the first night of the 2008 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. December 26, 2008»,

«Black and white shot of yachts tacking upwind in Sydney Harbour at the start of the 2008 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. I love shooting yachts from the air. The positioning and shape of the sails gives a different perspective»,

«June 2020, a few days before the end of quarantine. Clarisse Crémer (itBoat note) has returned aboard her Imoca 60 to train alone in the Bay of Biscay. The weather conditions for resuming offshore crossings are harsh, but she is able to steer her boat very well. This photo shows Clarissa on the bow while laying a heavy sail after a gybe turn. To me, this photo is a demonstration of just how much dedication and concentration a yachtsman needs. Behind Clarissa's pretty face there is a real fighter. She is now ready to sail solo around the world»,

«The weather forecast promised wind and possibly brief precipitation, and the 5.5m «Scythians» took to the water with full-size armament. I was aboard the catamaran for the photographers and cameramen, broadcasting live and taking photos when I could. In the middle of the race I looked south and saw a shaft of black, coal-like clouds moving straight toward the fleet. It became clear that it was about to get very windy and wet. After about 5 minutes the fleet virtually disappeared from view behind a wall of rain. Another 5 minutes later the storm had also passed quickly, visibility was better. I grabbed my camera and took a series of shots of its aftermath»,

1 / 10

Evgeniya Bakunova - Russia

«Curtain! Teamwork. Red spinnaker coming down. This is very symbolic for this year: red is the color of danger, a stop sign. Now we are all waiting for the day when the curtain goes up again. Anxiety is still in our hearts, and the future is full of uncertainty. Will that red signal remain next year as well? » - ponders the author of the photo taken during the Les Voiles de Saint Tropez regatta in France.

2 / 10

Elena Razina - Russia

Roman Lutsenko during one of the regattas of the water sports festival «Sevastopol Sails». « Sailing Sagittarius» - that's how the author of the photo named him.

3 / 10

Andrey Pronin - Russia

«The photo was taken with a wire. This shot clearly conveys the speed of the windsurfer and his desire to win»," says the author of the photo, taken during the Youth World Championship in windsurfing RS:X class in St. Petersburg.

4 / 10

Andrei Sheremetiev-Russia

Sunset during the Nord Stream Race offshore race in the Baltic Sea.

5 / 10

Ivan Bugarev - Russia

«This picture was taken during the preparatory days before FanagoriaCup 2014. The young windsurfers were training, they were sincere and not worried about the competition. The photos of the athletes were taken in shallow water. Their tangible efforts, a very strong wind and the choice of a non-standard point for shooting allowed us to get this emotional shot», - says the author of the photo.

6 / 10

Krisztina Voros - Australia

«You may see a lot of aerial shots, or spray shots, or storm shots, but none of them will be like this one. This shot was taken during the Rolex TP52 World Championship. What makes it special is that it captures monotype boats with exceptional potential going to their limits. This photo shows just how tight the battle can be during a race. You can literally measure the distance between the boats and it will be the same»," says the author of the photo.

7 / 10

Dallas Kilponen - Australia

«Buck's Tim Harrold unfurls his spinnaker on the ASM Shockwave 5 off the coast of New South Wales on the first night of the 2008 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. December 26, 2008»," says the author of the photo.

8 / 10

Brett Costello - Australia

«Black and white shot of yachts tacking upwind in Sydney Harbour at the start of the 2008 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. I love shooting yachts from the air. The positioning and shape of the sails gives a different perspective»," says the author of the photo.

9 / 10

Martin Keruzoré - France

«June 2020, a few days before the end of quarantine. Clarisse Crémer (itBoat note) has returned aboard her Imoca 60 to train alone in the Bay of Biscay. The weather conditions for resuming offshore crossings are harsh, but she is able to steer her boat very well. This photo shows Clarissa on the bow while laying a heavy sail after a gybe turn. To me, this photo is a demonstration of just how much dedication and concentration a yachtsman needs. Behind Clarissa's pretty face there is a real fighter. She is now ready to sail solo around the world»," says the author of the photo about the French participant in the Vendée Globe regatta, which will start on 8 November.

10 / 10

Michael Chittenden - New Zealand

«The weather forecast promised wind and possibly brief precipitation, and the 5.5m «Scythians» took to the water with full-size armament. I was aboard the catamaran for the photographers and cameramen, broadcasting live and taking photos when I could. In the middle of the race I looked south and saw a shaft of black, coal-like clouds moving straight toward the fleet. It became clear that it was about to get very windy and wet. After about 5 minutes the fleet virtually disappeared from view behind a wall of rain. Another 5 minutes later the storm had also passed quickly, visibility was better. I grabbed my camera and took a series of shots of its aftermath»," recalls the author of the photo of the story that took place during the 2017 Open World Championship in the «Skiff class» by J. J. Giltinan in Sydney Bay.

Text by: Anastasiya Nosova

Image courtesy of: Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image

The jury of the annual Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image Awards 2020 will reward the best professional photographers and their best sailing images for the eleventh time. This year's shortlist of 80 shortlisted entries, chosen from over 130 entries, was published on the competition website on 15 October and is open until 10 November for viewers to vote for their favourites. The names of the winners will be announced on November 24.

The competition rules have been changed a little bit in 2020. Whereas previously a photo had to be taken within the last year, this time the contest is open for entries taken between 1 January 2000 and 6 October 2020 but not previously nominated for the Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image. So this year's winning photos will get the high-profile title «best pictures of the century».

We suggest looking at the work of five Russian photographers and their five competitors from abroad.