Reflections...

We have to point out this cool shot that Connor Fitzpatrick took during USODA team trials. Notice the opti reflection in the aviators of this focused sailor...

USODA Team Trials

It was a weekend for dry suits at the USODA Team Trials at Noroton Yacht Club. These Opti sailors proved their mettle with 4 long days of racing, sometimes in the rain, some days until after 5 pm. But we heard no complaints from competitors. Opti sailors rule. And they certainly came prepared.

See the 2009 USODA Team Trials photos, including daily highlights and folders sorted by sail number, here.

It's not summer yet...

Don't let the 80-degree day we had this week trick you...the water is still cold, and so is the air. These opti sailors came prepared for a chilly day one at the 2009 USODA Team Trials.

The regatta got off to a great start with over 200 boats competing in around 8 knots of breeze off of Noroton Yacht Club on Long Island Sound. We've got some great photos and we'll be showing them at the club all week.

See the 2009 USODA Team Trials photos here.

2009 Charleston Race Week Photos

Charleston Saturday: a good day for a tow

Towing the SB3s out to the course was the height of PhotoBoat.com excitement today. The wind picked up enough for racing, but conditions were the polar opposite of yesterday's wet and wild display. It is fair to say that everybody needed a rest.

Loving life in Charleston

Loving life is only part of the story; going 7 miles upwind in a dinghy in 5' seas definitely involves some "hating life," but the photos were worth it. Both on the inside and outside courses, the wind reached over 20 knots.

Obviously, the sailors were tired after yesterday's racing as well. They all had war stories to tell from a fair amount of carnage. 2009 Charleston Race Week is going to be a regatta to remember.

Today's 2000+ Charleston Race Week photos come from a frantic attempt to cover as many boats as possible in ultimate photo conditions. Check out the highlights. All the photos will be posted, sorted by boat, after the event.

A Beautiful Day, a Wide Angle, and a Polarizing Filter

The stars were aligned for some beautiful photography yesterday as many crews practiced in 15 knots of breeze in Charleston Harbor.

In this photo, Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina, the event host, is shown in the background on the right, and the infamous bridge stands to the left.

See more practice day photos here.

Today's forecast is looking good, with 15-20 knots expected. It should be a great "Day 1" for all 170+ boats at Charleston Race Week, probably the best-weather day they'll get.

Throughout the weekend, our daily highlights of Charleston Race Week photos will be posted at www.PhotoBoat.com.

Arrival in Charleston

It's nice to see this bridge again. So nice, we have a cell phone photo taken at approximately 65 mph to show

it off.

We'll show some better shots of this bridge- taken with our more professional cameras, and with boats racing in front of it- on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. It provides a great background for Charleston Race Week photos on the inside course.

On the road again...destination: Charleston Race Week

He's almost there: this snapshot of our Spot tracking shows Allen's progress today in the PhotoBoat truck with a dinghy in tow. He's on track for a total of 14 hours elapsed between CT and Charleston. Here's a link to his live track, updated every hour or so, and generally more meant for use out on the water as a safety device: http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0Aoq1CE7cpz3ZlcQIXmVX0qs8CCSV4lR1

Next on the agenda is Charleston Race Week, and we're ready to hit the ground running when racing begins on Friday. The event has had record entries this year, and the one design course in particular is going to be full of action. The Viper fleet is strong in numbers and some Laser Performance SB3s will be joining the event for the first time this year. The action should be good as usual in the Melges 24, J 24, and J 80 classes, as well as the offshore courses.

PhotoBoat is your source for Charleston Race Week photos, so check the site for daily highlights and galleries sorted by boat name, as always.

The PhotoBoat Lifestyle...

It's more office time than most people think, but we still love it. Except maybe for the "equipment fixing" part, which, by the way, refers more to boats than to cameras. Actually, it refers mostly to preventative maintenance on our boats and fixing trailer lights.

We made this silly little graph for two reasons: (1) Daniela wanted to prove to herself that she still remembered some of the material from her Georgetown econ major days, and (2) we did a presentation at Saugatuck Harbor Yacht Club's Pub Night last year. Yes, PhotoBoat does presentations. Not only are there a lot of aspiring photographers out there, but even for people who aren't, our business is - inarguably- interesting.

PhotoBoat shooter completes Antarctic Expedition

"The Antarctic wants you dead. It is that simple. In order to survive for even a single night in the extreme environment, you must dig your tent, and yourself into the ice. If you do not build sufficiently tall walls and dig yourself in deep enough, the catabatic winds that roll off of the glaciers and the ice may very well blow you and your tent away." -Connor Fitzpatrick (words and photos)

Connor, a Brunswick School senior who shoots for PhotoBoat, was selected to join Sir Robert Swan's 2041 project for a two-week Antarctic Expedition.

He saw humpback whales, penguins, and an Antarctic base station that will run on renewable energy, among many other amazing things, all of which he captured wonderfully. See more of his photos and read more about the mission at http://www.cbfphotos.com/ .

Look for Connor on the water representing PhotoBoat this summer.

Top 10 real myths about PhotoBoat.com discussed

1. We use small boats because we can’t afford bigger ones.

False. We use bigger boats sometimes- and we started with a bigger boat- but we chose the dinghies so we could get close without causing a wake or a wind-shadow.

2. We go out in separate boats because we argue too much to drive each other around.

True! We’re getting married in 2009, so it’s nothing personal, but we’re independent when it comes to putting ourselves in the right spot. It’s the right way to do it.

3. We use wide angle lenses because we can’t afford bigger ones.

False. Somebody actually made this claim on a certain popular sailing web forum, and they were so wrong. We have big lenses, but we rarely use them. Our throttle is our zoom, and as a result, our image quality is better!

4. PhotoBoat.com is one of those big internet companies, kind of like Amazon.com.

False. Sometimes we like to be funny and tell our customers they need to talk to our customer service department, but the truth is we’re a small company with a big name. We’re product development, fulfillment, packaging, shipping, marketing, bookkeeping, sales, and – most importantly – customer service, all in the hands of two- sometimes three- people.

5. We’re crazy.

False, of course. We prefer the term “adrenaline junkies.”

6. We’re photographers that decided to try getting involved in sailing because it looked cool.

False. Now that would be crazy. We attribute our success 75% to our skills and knowledge in sailing and boating. Without the eye, we’d be nowhere, but without the sailing skills, we’d be in the protest room.

7. We started this business expecting to photograph local Western Long Island Sound events.

True. We have to admit we didn’t realize we’d have to have a bigger reach to make it big, but it became apparent quickly. We love doing the local club events on LIS (except when there’s no wind), but it’s our willingness to travel that makes our business viable instead of just a reason to write off boat fuel.

8. Being a marine photographer means spending all of your time on the water.

False. It is nice being on the water, but we spend 5 hours on the computer for every hour spent on the water, and 1 hour working out boat logistics for every hour on the water. Many of the hours on the water are spent waiting for wind in an 11’ boat with no shade. But still, we know we have a cool job and we’re grateful.

9. We've never lost a camera overboard.

True. We know a few people who have, but we have managed to keep our investments safe so far.

10. Daniela’s tiller extension is a piece of a Laser upper mast.

True. Some observant people have noticed this and gotten a kick out of it. It's the top piece of an upper section, complete with the blue plastic piece stuck in the end. The truth is, both tillers would be made of mast pieces if we had two kicking around; Allen’s extension/throttle is made of PVC and it has broken before.

2009 Key West Race Week Animated Slideshow

This is a must see.

See our Thursday highlights and all the other photos here.

Key West at its best

We couldn't ask for anything more today, with sun and wind in our favor and another great day of racing action. Our focus was on Division 1- Farr 40s, IRC 1, IRC 2, Swan 42s, and F30 classes.

The photos are a must see.

There will be some interesting changes in positions after today's racing, but there are still two more days.
Considering that last
year's Key West Race Week only had three days of racing due to bad weather, we're appreciating the extra days this year.

See the photos from Key West Race Week 2009 here.

Key West action: Tuesday

Speed was the word of the day today, as proven by many a Melges with a big wake. The day started off with a 48-knot gust, measured from the docks in front of the Half Shell Raw Bar. Had that continued, racing would have been cancelled, but we were fortunate to see those gusts pass through early in the day. Out on the race course, a consistent 20 knots helped produce some great action and we had another day of interesting Key West Race Week photos. See them here.

Key West Race Week 2009 - Day 1

From a photographer's perspective, 2009 Acura Key West Race Week had a very interesting start. With a stormy morning complete with squalls and diffused light, and a signature Key West sunny afternoon, we saw almost every type of light on the spectrum. See the photos here.

The racing was competitive and the wind was good- it was a great start to a Key West Race Week.

Though the number of boats participating is down about 40% this year, the competition is up and there is still plenty of action to photograph.

We've got 2500 great shots from Monday and are looking forward to showing them- and all the others from the week- at Schooner Wharf Bar on Thursday.

Please visit the PhotoBoat Regatta Gallery to see Monday's highlights now, and check back later in the week to view all of the 2009 Key West Race Week photos sorted by boat name.

Key West Race Week 2008 Slide Show

Here is a sample of some of the photos from last year.

PhotoBoat on Facebook

We created a PhotoBoat.com group on Facebook a while ago; our friends have shown their support for us and we've met some new sailors along the way. For Facebook users, you can view it at the link below, or search PhotoBoat.com .

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=33330859421

Our latest posting is an invitation to hang out at Schooner Wharf Bar on Thursday, January 22nd starting at 8 pm and see our 2009 Key West Race Week photos. We're looking forward to our third Key West Race Week; it's certain to bring more good wind, green water, and on-shore fun.

The Best and Worst of 2008

The votes are in and the HR department has finally finished tallying them...it's time to announce the PhotoBoat.com best and worst list from 2008.

THE BEST

1. Best Regatta Party: Governor's Cup, St. Mary's College

The fact that we were staying in a college dorm helped lock in the number 1 position for this party.

2. Best Overall Weather: Opera House Cup, Nantucket

It doesn't get much better than this, and Windcheck Magazine thought so as well...this photo made the cover.

3. Best Wind: American YC Spring Series, Week 1

Not just wind, but current-on-wind in an Easterly on LIS.

4. Best Digs During a Regatta: The "The Mount Gay Room" at the Screwpile

5. Best New Product: limited edition fine art photos

THE WORST

1. Longest day without wind: V15 Nationals, take 1

Hanging out alone in an 11' dinghy for four hours is not as glamorous as it sounds.

2. Longest dinghy ride to event: Charleston Race Week

Newport to Bermuda was a close second with a max distance offshore of only 9 miles for Allen...

3. Most over-complicated logistical weekend: Annapolis - Rye, NY - Annapolis, May 2008

Our rig averages 10 mpg.

4. Biggest Carnage: American Spring Series, Week 1

5. Best storm sky: Screwpile, Solomons Island, MD

2008 was a great year on the water and we look forward to kicking off 2009's adventures with Key West Race Week later this month.

Stanwich Sailing 2008

The water temp is 56 degrees, the days when it isn't blowing over 20 or raining are becoming fewer and farther between, and the air temp is rarely reaching 60 these days, so short of putting on dry suits, it's time to call an end to the Stanwich School sailing season for the year.

This was the second year of existence for Stanwich Sailing, which is an impressive program considering that most schools don't offer sailing in gym class. Our group of fourteen 7th, 8th, and 9th graders did a great job this season in their club 420 fleet. They proved they could sail in the cold, the rain, and wind gusting to 25. There were only a handful of capsizes. We ran close to 100 races run throughout the season. All we need is somebody to race against...

Thanks for a fun season!

Annapolis November 2nd

It was a great day on the Chespeake on Sunday November 2nd, and a great season finisher for many.Pictured above is the Soling fleet sailing their Nationals near the Bay Bridge. Also on the water were a J105 fleet sailing the Chesapeake Bay Championship and the IRC East Coast Championship Regatta- both sailing down near Thomas Point Light. It was a great day to get our last photos of the season and it's always great to have a reason to go to Annapolis. Next stop: Florida. We're looking forward to taking photos at Key West Race Week 2009.

See the 2008 Soling Nationals photos here.

Click here for the 2008 IRC East Coast champs photos.

J105 Chesapeake Bay Champs photos: click here.

2008 Heineken High Performance Dinghy Open

The 2008 Heineken HPDO could have had more breeze overall, but we were still grateful for about two hours of ten knots between Saturday and Sunday. It's been a little bit frustrating for weekend sailors this fall, with heavy breeze coming more frequently during the week. But at least it's warm...

The HPDO has grown significantly since we first photographed it in 2006. With the growing RSK6 and Viper 640 fleets on Long Island Sound, the event has doubled. The Moths, of course, added some nice hype this year and a big A Cat fleet came from far and wide. But still, the classic High Performance boats are fun to watch: International Canoes, 505s, I 14s, Flying Dutchmen, Fireballs, Contenders and more. They'd be even more fun to sail, of course. If I had time to sail at these events instead of photographing them, I'd be in one of these boats, if not a laser.

Thanks to Heineken for being such a great sponsor, including covering our fees for the event CDs and awards photos.

See the photos here.

American Yacht Club Fall Series 2008

Despite a mediocre forecast for around 10 knots and rainy, the conditions in the middle of Long Island Sound created some dramatic photos afterall thanks to the fact that Long Island Sound opens to the East. After three days of strong Easterly breezes, the sound was still pretty bumpy on Saturday morning. Here, the J44s are looking good in tight competition. We played with the saturation a bit in photoshop. Normally we are minimalists when it comes to photo tweaking, relying on our ability to take good photos, not to make them, but when you take as many as 10,000 photos a month, sometimes you just need to do something a little different to stay interested.

Allen happened upon a classic yacht regatta out of Hempstead Harbor and got some great photos of classic yachts punching through the waves. The photos are mixed in with the AYC Fall Series photos, sorted by boat name. Check out the photos here.

2008 CT Opti Champs

These are the kids that don't just race in the summer to get a tan and go swimming; these kids were racing on a rainy fall Saturday, getting ready for the Atlantic Coast Champs (won by a Long Island Sound sailor last year) in a few weeks. Many of these kids go to regattas in Europe and other parts of the world, in addition to different parts of this country. See the photos here and look out for these kids in the future- they'll be the collegiate All Americans.

Connecticut Maritime Association 12 meter Regatta 2008

The Annual CMA 12 Meter Regatta in Greenwich almost didn't happen this year, with a forecast for 25-30 knots and 100% chance of rain on Friday September 26th. But they made a great call and nine 12 meters went out in moderate breeze and raced. In fact, the classic 12s were all asked to shake out their reefs by the end of the day. Pictured to the right are the two Grand Prix 12s, which were match racing each other during the CMA regatta. The significance here is that both yachts are named America II, both having been built for the same cup campaign in 1987. US 42, to windward with the unfortunate "Be Fabulous" on the jib, and US 46, to leeward, were built along with US 44 to become the NYYC syndicate. 46, deemed faster in the heavy air and big seas of Perth, Australia, went on to sail in the Louis Vuitton cup but did win the challenger position for the America's Cup; 42, it can be said became more notorious, however, as it "starred" in the '90s movie "Wind". In fact, it was repainted only last year after keeping the Geronimo name and design for years.

US 42 is owned and sailed by the 12 meter Yacht Development Foundation, which is dedicated to restoring and maintaining 12 meters. Read more about the Greenwich, CT- based non-profit organization's mission and become a member here.

US 44 is a charter boat in Hawaii.

See more CMA Regatta photos here.

2008 Viper ACC

The breeze was on the lighter side for the 2008 Viper 640 Atlantic Coast Championships, held Sept 20-21st out of Stamford Yacht Club, but the enthusiasm was strong. The Viper fleet has been growing rapidly on Long Island Sound, and across the East Coast. We're looking forward to photographing Vipers again during the Heineken HPDO in Rye, NY over Columbus Day Weekend. Let's keep our fingers crossed for some good breeze. Still, these boats look pretty good even in 5 knots.

See the Viper ACC photos here.