When Prince Frederick of Denmark and Princess Mary of Denmark became King and Queen on Sunday it prompted me to write a story behind this yacht race photo.
This image was captured some years ago when Prince Frederick of Denmark was visiting Sydney.
I went out in the media Boat to cover Prince Frederick practicing in the Rolex Pre-World Farr 40 Championships on his Yacht Wanoq.
The Pre-World Championships bring together skilled sailors from around the world who are vying for victory and aiming to fine-tune their strategies and boat performance before the main World Championships. The event is sponsored by Rolex, renowned for its support of prestigious sailing competitions.
The Farr 40 class is known for its strict one-design rules, ensuring that all boats are identical in terms of design, dimensions, and equipment. This levels the playing field and emphasizes the skill and expertise of the sailors rather than the advantages of boat design.
Picture Formula One on water, minus the engine roar, replaced by the sound of wind and waves.
I remember the day very well and there was a huge swell. Fortunately, I had taken a sea sickness tablet but all the other media had not and were not well, to say the least.
As this race is so competitive I wanted to capture as many yachts as possible together, yet the ocean was so rough, I could hardly stand up and was being thrown side to side.
An opportunity came up when all the yachts suddenly came close together for a few seconds. I managed to capture one frame with no gaps and this result was what I wanted.
That’s a brilliant photo Paul. The sepia tone is just perfect.