PHOTO GALLERY - SHOOTING THE SWIFTSURE RACE
SHOOTING THE SWIFTSURE RACE
There are no fixed edges in sailing. The sea creates the dance and sailors must move to her rhythm. I set out in the 2003 Swiftsure Race with a crew of five experienced seamen. I was the novice sailor and shutterbug that doubled for galley duty. We were sailing Thrasher Reef, a 37' Highlander owned by Charles Klint. My partner Mario was invited to skipper the race. The day began like a tortoise, with no wind and a very hot sun for May 24th. It took us over three hours to inch our way across the start line. Finally the wind picked up mid-afternoon, and off we flew north on Juan de Fuca and across to Clallam Bay, beating into a moderate gale by late day.
I wanted to capture the geometry and rhythms of the race, looking at the primary colours of stormsuits and the tilted angles of lines and winches, canvas and sea. Sailors watch the wind in their sails like naturalists watch exotic birds or beasts. Everything is done by feel and instinct. Staying out of the way, or positioning myself outside of lifelines safely for the right shot, was my challenge. Confronted by a gale was another kind of challenge and I spent some time in the cockpit focusing with my breath on Olympic shores.
I wanted to narrate the same rhythms and angles with this trio of images, recalling the seduction of the sea, the percussion of the sails, the churning of waves, each speaking between the lines. These are snapshots of the dance, conjuring the salt and tension of a race. No one commands the sea but the sea herself; we can only ride her well from time to time.