Sail-World features strongly in Mirabaud Image of the Year Final Award

by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World.com NZL on 1 Dec 2016 Sail-World.com featured prominently in the Winners list for the Main Award in the Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image of the Year, announced at the Yacht Racing Forum in Malta on Tuesday.

Sail-World's Asian Editor, Guy Nowell (HKG) was announced as the fourth placed image for 2016 with his image of a yacht sailing into a cloud shrouded coastline in the Rolex China Sea Race. Sail-World's New Zealand Editor, Richard Gladwell was fifth with a spectacular 470 surfing image from the 2016 Olympic Regatta. Eugenia Bakunova a frequent contributor to Sail-World was ranked eight with her very clever image of a GC32 foiling in the Extreme Sailing Series, St Petersberg, in her native Russia.

At Sail-World.com we have made an effort over the past few years to show the best available sailing photography, both from our own photographers and the hundreds of photographers who contribute their work each year. It is pleasing for three of our photographers to be recognised in this way.

The winners lists are:

Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image 2016 – Top ten:

1. Jean-Marie Liot (FRA)
2. Benoît Stichelbaut (FRA)
3. Mark Lloyd (UK)
4. Guy Nowell (UK)
5. Richard Gladwell (NZL)
6. Claire Matches (UK)
7. Nico Martinez (ESP)
8. Eugenia Bakunova (RUS)
9. Alex Irwin (UK)
10. Tim Thomas (UK)

Yacht Racing Forum award Top 5: (Chosen by delegates at the World Sailing Annual Conference and World Sailing Forum

1. Nico Martinez (SPA)
2. Mark Lloyd (UK)
3. Luis Fernandez (SPA)
4. Pedro Martinez (ESP)
5. Jean-Marie Liot (FRA)

Public award top 5: (Chosen by social media)

1. Christophe Huchet (FRA)
2. Ricardo Pinto (POR)
3. Matias Capizzano (ARG)
4. Andras Kollmann (HUN)
5. Joka Gemesi (HUN)

Top twenty photographers (in alphabetical order):

Eugenia Bakunova (RUS)
Christian Beeck (GER)
Matias Capizzano (ARG)
Rachel Fallon-Langdon (IRE)
Luis Fernandez (SPA)
Richard Gladwell (NZL)
Alex Irwin (UK)
Pierrick Jeannoutot (FRA)
Jean-Marie Liot (FRA)
Mark Lloyd (UK)
Gilles Martin-Raget (FRA)
Nico Martinez (SPA)
Pedro Martinez (SPA)
Claire Matches (UK)
Mauro Melandri (ITA)
Guy Nowell (UK)
Benoit Stichelbaut (FRA)
Tim Thomas (UK)
James Tomlinson (UK)
Jasper Van-Staveren (NED)

For the full gallery of 80 images the made the first selection cut click here - you can see which photographer is associated with each image and for those interested in the technical side of sailing photography, the cameras and size lens being used plus other settings, and a sailor bio, plus a narrative about the image, and maybe why it was chosen. The social media voting is also shown for each shot.