News
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"Behind the Lens" Part 49- The Round the Island Race
It should have been the annual Round the Island Race last Saturday, May 30. This is a random selection of photographs from the many times I have photographed the race. It's a great event as there are so many different types of boats, mostly small boats sailed by families and friends mixing it up with the high profile professional teams. It's a great day out. This years race has been postponed until September 26
Published 06:16 on 8 Oct 2020
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"Behind the Lens" Part 48 - The Fast 40+
The Fast 40 class is probably the closest we get to the heydays of IOR racing in the Solent today. The close racing on short courses with well sailed boats is just fantastic.Perfectly sailed boats don't always make the best pictures so I usually set up to shoot the action at the marks. Upwind you have a choice of the actual mark of the offset mark, on the first round when the boats are
Published 06:09 on 8 Oct 2020
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"Behind the Lens" Part 47 Windy Friday Cowes Week 2018
No one out on the water on Windy Friday at Cowes Week 2018 will forget that day in a hurray, sadly not all for good reasons as one man lost his life.The Black group were sent to the west, the forecast was for the wind to build but at the start off Cowes it was raining and quiet light, but the forecast was for it to clear and build so I headed west hoping for
Published 06:04 on 8 Oct 2020
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"Behind the Lens" Part 46 Cowes
I recently had a request to supply pictures to decorate an office reception area with a Cowes or the Isle of Wight theme. I thought I would share some of these today as it reminds us of how things should be in Cowes at this time of year. Under normal circumstances there would be events going on all the time from April to September, RORC Racing, Round the Island, Vice Admirals, Cowes Classics etc etc
Published 05:57 on 8 Oct 2020
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"Behind the Lens" Part 45 Swedish Archipelago
One of the best kept secrets in sailing are the cruising grounds on the west coast of Sweden, starting just outside of Gothenburg and stretching all the way up to Norway is one of the most beautiful areas for cruising in the world. As a family we have cruised there many times, usually just in the stretch between Marstrand and Lysekil which is only about 25 miles in a straight line but that's more
Published 05:52 on 8 Oct 2020
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"Behind the Lens" Part 44 - Wildlife Expedition Spitsbergen
Monday 25 May, today, should have been our first day out in the wilds of Spitsbergen/Svalbard onboard the expedition yacht Qilak.This was to be a guided cruise similar to the Falkland Islands adventure with Pelagic Australis last year, BUT due to the Coronavirus this has had to be postponed for a year. There was a lot of interest in this trip so next year I plan run two trips.There are still some berths available
Published 15:56 on 23 Jun 2020
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"Behind the Lens" Part 43 Team SCA
Its hard to put into just a few words the experience of working with Team SCA in the 2014/15 Volvo Ocean Race.Inspirational and Respect, doesn't seem to sum it all up. The race crew and the shore support were a great team. Onshore the activation program was huge and has become a model for other sponsorships. Here is just a glimpse from some of the thousands of pictures I took of this great team.
Published 15:46 on 23 Jun 2020
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"Behind the Lens" Part 42 Sailing with Elephants
One of the more unusual assignments I have done was done on a man made lake far away from the sea. At the Earls Court Boat Show in 1996 I noticed a tiny booth with a hand written sign saying Sail with the Elephants - Sailing Safari on Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe, I went straight round to Yachting World to put the idea for a feature. At over 120 miles long Lake Kariba
Published 11:16 on 21 May 2020
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"Behind the Lens" Part 41 Quarter Tonners
Some of the closest racing in the Solent in recent years is in the revived Quarter Ton Class. With a fleet of up to 20 boats competing its serious racing but its also still fun and its very photogenic.Most of the action happens at the marks when the boats a very close together and the crews are working on deck.Also it doesn't take much for them to trip up, so the occasional broach is inevitable.
Published 11:10 on 21 May 2020
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"Behind the Lens" Part 40 The J-Class
Just the mention of the J-Class brings excitement and emotions to our minds.Velsheda, Endeavour and Shamrock were the last three remaining J's after the war and in the 80s and 90s there were some great regattas with just the three of them.Endeavour had been a hulk in the river Medina for many years was the first to be restored by Elizabeth Meyer and the the Royal Huisman Shipyard. Re launched in 1989 we were all
Published 16:30 on 20 May 2020
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"Behind the Lens" Part 39 Timoneer
The regatta crew on Timoneer has always been a tight, loyal bunch.Mostly made up of Phil Wades mates, and the mates of mates, the gathering before the regatta was always a great day. Meeting up with long time friends from different parts of the world, sharing a beer and a catch up.Hearing the same stories for the umpteenth time and inwardly smiling as they seem to get better and better each year. Mr and
Published 16:21 on 20 May 2020
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"Behind the Lens" Part 38 Timoneer
I have mentioned before the friendships you make sailing can last a long time. Phil Wade was the Mate on Drum and has remained a friend ever since. A partner in the original Pelagic, years and years ago he took we on my first high latitude cruise through the Beagle Channel and Magellan Straits , a life changing experience and I didn't know at the time I would go back there many times. When
Published 12:26 on 15 May 2020