2008 Annapolis NOOD and American Spring Series

It was foul weather gear over sunblock this weekend on both the Chesapeake Bay and Long Island Sound, where two big beginning-of-season regattas were taking place.

See more photos from both AYC Spring Series and Annapolis NOOD at http://www.photoboat.com/

American Yacht Club kicked off 2008's Spring Series with a powerful Easterly and chilly temps.

Despite the cloudy day, the shots are dramatic and as always, a lot of great boats were out racing, including Rima, Devocean, High Noon, Swan 42s, and a bunch of JBoats looking good.

In Annapolis
...conditions were very light on Friday and Saturday, but Sunday's 15 knots helped create some drama on the Chesapeake. Around 270 boats are a lot to cover in one day, but Allen did his best to get as many as possible. The Melges 32s and Mumm 30s were looking particularly good, with 15 boats in each fleet. Other fleets, also looking good, of course, included J24s, Etchells, J22s, Cal 25s, Catalina 27s, Stars, Alberg 30s, S2s, Beneteau 36.7s, J105s, J30s, J80s, Melges 24s, and J35s. That's a lot of One Designs...nice job Sailing World and Annapolis sailors.

Getting There...And Back

Our plan was to hit Annapolis NOOD on our way North from Florida, just like we did for Charleston Race Week. But Friday's conditions on the Chesapeake were far from photogenic and Saturday's forecast called for more of the same.

We had wanted to take some shots at AYC Spring Series and saw that the forecast called for a strong Easterly. On Long Island Sound, that means big seas and good photos, so a day trip to Rye it was. Then back to Annapolis for Sunday's action.

We officially have a screw loose for making that trip, especially with gas prices where they are, but dramatic conditions generate our income, so we have to be a little crazy sometimes.

See more AYC Spring Series and Annapolis NOOD photos here: http://www.photoboatgallery.com/lightbox/index.php

Charleston Race Week 2008

Check out our photos of Charleston Race Week 2008.

With around 140 boats ranging from Melges 24s to J105s to racer-cruisers (just because you have a bimini doesn't mean you can't race), Charleston Race Week is quite an event. Charleston is one of our favorite cities and it's great to have a reason to come here every year. In 2007, we arrived by sailboat and spent the week at Charleston Maritime Center. It doesn't get much better than that, but this year we were still happy to be here.

Racing was tight on all three courses for 2008. The sea breeze kicked up in the afternoons, so mornings were spent waiting for it (and sometimes drifting backwards because of the ripping current in Charleston Harbor), but the wait was worth it- especially for the photos.

The city is beautiful and the buildings and the bridge provide great backgrounds for photos on the inside course.

We had a great time at Salty Mikes, where Sailing Anarchy threw another great party complete with a slideshow of our photos.

This regatta marks the beginning of our 2008 summer season (which includes Spring and Fall) and we're looking forward to another great season of sailing photos on Long Island Sound, the Chesapeake Bay, Newport area, and more.

Next on the agenda: 2008 Sailing World Annapolis NOOD photos.

Check out more Charleston Race Week 2008 photos here: http://www.thephotoboat.com/CharlestonRaceWeek08.html

A Wedding on the Schooner Liberty

Daniela is shown here, taking a photo of the wedding party during John and Niki's nuptuals on the Liberty in Key West. We covered this wedding from two boats- a little one and a big one. Daniela zipped around in a dinghy taking shots of the Liberty underway and the group lined up at the rail; I was on board documenting the day and capturing the bride and groom's interaction. The Liberty crew was great as usual, all the guests had a blast, and John and Niki got a photo with the coordinates at which they were married, courtesy of the Liberty Fleet.

Find out more about Liberty Fleet weddings in Key West and Boston here.

See more of our work at www.PhotoBoat.com .

Sail Fast 2008 Line Product Shoot

We just finished shooting SailFast's brand new 2008 line and the t-shirts look great! We had a good time with models Wells, Trip, Joe and Stacey, taking shots both at the St. Petersburg Sailing Center during Flying Scot midwinters and at the laid-back Pass-a-Grille beach. Both the Flying Scot fleet and Pass-a-Grille embody the SailFast mentality quite well. Flying Scot sailors love the sport and sail a lot, often with families and spouses. Fleets are located in sailing hotspots such as Long Island Sound and Tampa Bay, but also on smaller lakes in non-coastal states. Pass-a-grille beach and the accompanying small neighborhood is picturesque, but quiet. The beach is accessible to the public but never crowded or over-commercialized. It's a great place for watersports or beachcombing- both important parts of the SailFast lifestyle.

One of Allen's photos was used to create the artistic fleet image in the grey shirt pictured above.

See more SailFast products and learn about their dedication to raising funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society at www.isailfast.com .

See our client list and learn more about hiring Daniela and Allen for commercial photography including catalog product photos such as these at www.PhotoBoat.com .