It’s that fabulous time of year, and I’m not talking about pumpkin spice! It’s October and the Ultimate Sailing office is abuzz with excitement as the first hot-off-the-press copies of the 2025 Ultimate Sailing Calendar arrive! Talk about SPICY! The action, the color, the excitement of the newest edition is unparalleled as Sharon Green does it again: publishing the most thrilling, vibrant, exhilarating yacht racing action from around the globe.
And I am ecstatic to inform that color is back in the world of sailing! A flock of chartreuse kiteboards soar over the sapphire crests of the Bay of Palma de Mallorca.
Vibrant logos transform sails into canvases on AC40s, brilliant hues turn spinnakers into festive balloons on J/70s and 12 Metres. A covey of Optis sandwich between the cobalt sea and undulating golden dunes of Paracas Bay, Peru. Everywhere there’s a pop of color – in the spinnakers, graphics and the depth of the sea – adding to sailing’s multi-sensory sport, art and passion. ‘Like the intense vermilion and marigold of Fast Exit II’s sail plan; the tones emblemizing the force and fury of the yacht as it plows through the azure waves of Hawaii.
“It’s this image I chose as the cover photo for the 2025 Ultimate Sailing Calendar,” explains Sharon, “bursting red and orange as Fast Exit II charges down the Molokai Channel to finish the 2225-mile Transpac Race. I will never forget that moment: hanging out of the helicopter, doors off, and the pilot maneuvers with incredible dexterity, flying backward to allow me to compose and photograph this spectacular racing yacht as it blasts through huge seas.”
Sharon’s peerless talent has made Ultimate Sailing Calendar the most popular and coveted wall calendar for sailors, photographers, adventurers and anyone who loves the raw energy and beauty of the sea, for 40-plus years. This big, beefy 18- by 24-inch (displayed) calendar is printed on durable Forest Stewardship Council certified paper stock, with quality offset printing using environmentally friendly Linseed and Soya oil-based ink, to ensure the calendar and colors remain vivid and robust all year long.
“For over four decades, I've had the honor of capturing the electrifying essence of sailboat racing through my lens,” Sharon continues. “With each click, I aim to freeze time and preserve the dynamic energy and beauty of sailing at its highest levels. Whether suspended from helicopters or perching on chase boats, I've dedicated my life to capturing the essence of this incredible sport.”
“So, come aboard and join me as we embark on this thrilling adventure together. Let's explore the boundless possibilities of sailing and revel in the beauty of the open sea. With the 2025 Ultimate Sailing Calendar in hand, I promise you a year filled with excitement, inspiration, and unforgettable moments.”
Whether you work at home or remotely, in a shop, a ship, an office or you don’t work at all – put some dazzle in your day and WOW! on your wall with the 2025 Ultimate Sailing Calendar. Available online now at www.ultimatesailing.com
OCTOBER 2024
Now let’s get back to our current images in the October pages of the 2024 Ultimate Sailing Calendar, as we don’t want to shortchange our amazing colleague Matias Capizzano! Matias is a master of close-action photography and fearlessly puts himself in the midst of the fray to capture images like this, at top, during a Star World Championship regatta. Racers Luke Lawrence and Andrew Macrae are engulfed in spray as they bear down on Matias – no doubt drenched as well – on their way to a respectable finish in the top 20 of this uber-competitive fleet. Racing in Marblehead, Mass. had been fiery with four teams contending for gold in the final race of the series but Italy’s Diego Negri and Sergio Lambertenghi seized the title with all top-five place finishes (excluding the throwout).
Below, Matias takes to the sky to capture this beautifully choreographed mark rounding in the Snipe Worlds in Cascais, Portugal where Spain’s Alfredo Gonzalez Cristian Sanchez triumphed over that 88-boat fleet in fickle and challenging winds. Matias is featured back-to-back in this year’s calendar, so you can read all about him in the September blog here [ https://www.ultimatesailing.com/blogs/news/the-opti-mal-angle ]
These dynamic images from Optimist regattas on opposite sides of the globe show just how far he (Matias Capizzano) will go to capture the sport – from any angle, in any place!
“Matias is an incredibly versatile photographer,” Sharon Green asserts. “He operates underwater with his housing, flies a drone, drives his own rib, and captures phenomenal stills and video!”
Betsy Senescu
Author