Foiling around...
Foiling Windsurfers - wow they're quick and soooo quiet! This was captured on the last day of the RYA Youth Nationals in Plymouth back in August 2021; a perfect day for the racers and for the camera. With little rest between races, they kinda just kept spinning past, so the images were as much for fun as for competition. I'd been photographing hundreds of young sailors all week, on the water all day and into an edit each evening to keep up with the social feeds. I was tired and not on contract, volunteering for this as a portfolio builder. But this was a joy to photograph - unusual for Plymouth to see these kind of craft. And unlike a boat making some noise, the foil has less contact with anything making it appear to glide almost soundlessly. Being so quick, pre positioning my RIB on the course was crucial, not good to be in the way! But this was also not a day for changing cameras and lens, so as always with a prime I sacrificed composition for quality and stuck with the 300mm. The windsurfers made it look very easy, but with some sun sparkling on a moderate sea state inside Plymouth Sound, I had plenty of opportunity for some great shots.
Image - RYA Nationals 2021, Plymouth. Canon 5d Mk 3 / 300mm at f2.8 / ISO 100 / 1/6400
