Team Spain

2025 KPMG Sydney SailGP

Sydney Harbour

I was looking for an image that would make an impact and thought this image of an actual impact worked pretty well. It was taken during the Friday practice races when there were surprisingly few spectator boats on the Sydney Harbour. The breeze was up and so was the chop, making for pretty wet and unpleasant conditions to be taking photos from a RIB with very little freeboard. Watching the Spanish team sailing downwind towards us, I was panning and hoping to frame the shot of their boat in full flight at somewhere north of 40 knots. Just as I started to fire off a burst of shots they lost control of the ride height and the boat nose dived violently, coming spectacularly to a dead stop in a boat length. I'm pleased to say no sailors were injured in the making of this image.

Canon 7D Mark 11, Canon 70-200L f2.8 and 1.4x converter, ISO 500, f11 , 1/1000