The book is divided into chapters, and from the start, with the evocative image of a young boy about to capsize his dinghy, I was hooked.
Of course Gilles is best known for his spectacular scenes of the America’s Cup, and here we are certainly not disappointed.
In the chapter from San Francisco in 2013, entitled “The America’s Cup – An Old Lady on Top Form!” we witness scenes more familiar to Formula 1 fans – crash helmets, full protective clothing, speeds unknown to ordinary sailors, images akin to flight, aerofoils in action, the gruelling training regime the crews go through, and the inevitable near misses and sometimes collisions.
Aside from the breath-taking racing images, there are also ones of mainstream yachting – pictures of fibreglass boats being sailed by families, kids jumping from their Dad’s boat into the sea, rubber dinghies and kayaks – all the fun things that most of us sailors have experienced. But always with that magic lens that a great photographer has. I will never see the Porquerolles islands with the same eyes again, after his stunning photograph on page 200 – it is just a boat, some islands, and the sea, but what a picture!
On a recent trip to the Natural History Museum in London to see the 50th Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition, I was expecting a few hours of Photoshop trickery, digital mastery and computer effects. But my cynicism was short-lived. I was greatly impressed with the patience, sensitivity, skilful eye and mastery of light and time that these superlative photographers have.