TP 52 / COPA DEL REY / PALMA DE MALLORCA : ULTIMATE RACING IN STYLE !...

This is the most fashionable circuit with all the international stars of Yachting racing neck to neck on nearly equal 52 fast footers.

25 boats sailed by crew of 16, a very professional organisation and setting, many sponsors, top skippers including Cayard, Coutts, Vascotto, Schümann, Peponnet, Kostecki, Cutler among others, high level crews coming directly from Valencia and incredibly close starts and mark rounding.

All that make very very spectacular images, even more when shot from onboard as I have been lucky to sail on two different boats during training races. A royal flair was added with the presence onboard the boats of nearly all members of royal family of Spain.

Trust me : it's a big thing with reports on every TV channel and all newspapers front pages in spain which is definitely one of the - if not THE - most active nation in sailing today.

Bravo Bruno and Laurie !...

French America's Cup former skipper, Louis Vuitton Cup organizer for many years, Bruno Trouble and NZ naval designer Laurie Davidson have been inducted in the America's Cup Hall of Fame during a elegant and fancy party at the city of Art. Those two big personalities more than deserved this honor, and the place was packed with the core of America's Cup true personalities - except Dennis Conner - that have been making the recent history of the Cup. Bruno took this occasion to remember that the cup should not be only a commercial event but should preserve its elegance, tradition and sportmanship. Anything to do with ACM ?...

1-1 : so what ?...

So, 1-1, and what's new in the America's Cup world ? There is one big new which is Alinghi stopped to ridiculize its opponent along the 300 meters that follow the starting line. Finished those little extra degrees stolen to the wind with an equal speed that were killing the opposition whenever wherever the swiss crew decided to since 4 years now. So the game in this 32nd America's Cup is definitely open, with two formidable teams going at each other without gloves. It's good news for the sport, it's good news for the event, it's good news for sailing at large. As for the things to come, the first two races have proved that maybe Alingi would have an edge with more wind (definitely a little stiffer, probably due to its hull shape which is a bit larger than ETNZ one + sails shape that goes accordingly), when ETNZ would probably prefer light wind and also the chop. So we are back to where we were during the Louis Vuitton final stages : awfully close race where the only one mistake, or wrong tactical choice, or unexpected wind shift, or unlucky puff distribution changes the result. Are we talking about chance ?...

Few people around...

It's sunday, nice weather, and the America's Cup in town. That's the result seen from the air. Look at those super yacht packed at the entrance of Port America's Cup queuing like vulgar cars coming back from the week-end !...

REALLY MAD !...

It has been one of the most exciting shooting I have ever done, the same caliber that the Fuji at Ushant one in 2002. As we were supposed to do some stock image of Jeremie Beyou Delta Dore, I have left Valencia the day before to arrive in time the next morning to climb aboard the helicopter driven by Thierry Leignac with the Nefertiti Production film crew including director Hervé Borde and videoman Mathieu Pansard.

After flying over the Morbihan Gulf which is always a great moment, we landed at the west tip of Belle Ile to wait for more. At that time, Delta Dore skippered by Jeremie Beyou with his crew of five including Sydney Gavignet who will sail the next two handed Barcelona Race with him was on its way. As we flew over the sea, we knew already it would be a great day : 20-25 knots of south west wind, large seas coming from the other side of bay of biscay, even sun from time to time.

The rest was just pure gold as Jerem and crew put full throotle on this moving playing field, going from upwind on both tacks to wild surfing session on close reach. I must say that those new IMOCA 60 footers are just incredible boats, so fast, so powerful, so spectacular, and so...wet !...

After 3 months of light wind sooting in Valencia for the America's Cup, it was the perfect reward as we have been flying nearly 2 hours over DD going wild. Most of the pictures are on http://www.martin-raget.com/ , but much more are in the bag.

I would like to thank the crew, especially those who have been staying inside during the shooting, and also Thierry Leignac who is a f... good helicopter pilot. Imagine that this guy is just going up and down between the waves to allow us to be as low as possible to get the top of the waves higher than the boat !...

What I like in all this is that we have been 4 people to be lucky enough to watch this great sailing moment with our own eyes, and, thanks to photo and Video, many more people will be able to see it from now on. Thanks also to Delta Dore for their support, and to Laurence Caraes (yes, wife of the famous Jacques Caraes) who is running the PR for this project managed by Gilles Chiorri as she organized this shooting for us.

I think we are done with DD for a moment. You can't have those sort of conditions every day. Maybe I would like to do some shooting onboard in same conditions later, but, well, maybe not... Those guys are really mad !...

AS WILD AS IT CAN BE !...

It's the first time I've been able to be close to those two super maxis Alfa Romeo and Wild Oats racing together and I must say that it is absolutely devastating !... We had a moment in the superyacht cup sailed in Palma early this week with those two boats racing within the same boat length or so, wind about 15-18, and they were going more than 20 knots downwind. The two crew were totally on it, it was fast, intense, full of spray, with the smallest mistake costing full boats lenghts as the accelerate like hell and loose their speed about as fast. If anybody is wondering what kind of boat should be the next America's cup racers, the answer is quite simple : bring those ones !... The other superyachts were looking like pigs (expensive pigs though...) and their crew were just doing nothing than watch those two furious pass them 10 knots faster. What a show !... On our rib (thanks Arnaud for the sporty driving) it was quite bumpy to follow them and the only boats it could remind me are the ORMA trimarans.

What is this ?...

Yes, it's a boat. It's even a super yacht, and the only thing I can tell is that this young guy below is the builder. I met Sébastien Grall some years ago as he was fresh marine carpenter coming out of school. As a start of his career he did quite wonderfull refits including 8 m gaffer rig "Esterel" before starting his own yard. He is now building some of the most extraordinary machine of the super yacht industry in la Ciotat ( France). More to come at www.martin-raget.com ...

Louis Vuitton Box flying

The starting point of the Louis Vuitton Cup prizegiving was LV Cup arriving from the sky attached to the back of a parachute man. Quite spectacular, especially as they land exactly on the stage. brrrrr.... Not sure the Cup it self was in the bow. (in fact, sure it was not...)