For The Love and Terror of Sailing
In order to pay for college, I shot sports. Since I was working for newspapers and the wire services, I photographed sports at both professional and college levels. They happened to be all on land: baseball, football, basketball, hockey, golf and soccer. After I met my future husband, I started to take photographs of sailing. It is a different sport to shoot, and in the 15 years of racing and shooting, I've already lost 2 high end DSLR's, a lens and expensive filters due to water and impact damage. It happens!
Last year I was fortunate to have worked with Sailing World magazine photographing the J35 championships in Cheboygan, Michigan. That 8 page spread, published this spring, of photos helped pay for some of the carnage I've experienced. As of late, I help my sail club and document our races, while being on a fairly stable committee boat. It is a bit more comfortable than sliding across a fiberglass deck while hoping not to fall overboard in heavy seas. (I have been there, done that!)
October 13th of this year was a particularly rough day for sailing. We had 30 knot winds and I was told it was a harrowing sail.
Our sail club has a fairly large J35 fleet. For all you novices, it is a 35 foot all-out race boat, built and designed by Rod Johnstone (whom I had the pleasure of meeting and photographing in Cheboygan.) Three hundred and thirty boats were made and they are awesome to see sail. There are no creature comforts on these boats, because they are made for speed and to win races.
I made a short video of the race and wanted to show it off. Mostly, I'm hoping it makes more people want to take up sailing. It is a great sport and one I love being involved with.
If you want more information about our sail club or being crew for a J35, please message me. You won't regret it!
Photographs are for viewing only. No reproduction rights granted of any kind.
