Nico Martinez’s photo enchants everyone at Mirabaud Yacht Racing

Spanish photographer Nico Martinez is the winner of the Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image Award 2022 thanks to a photo taken during the TP52 World Championships in Cascais, Portugal.

Best sailing photos honored at Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image Awards. Such popular success of sailing in recent years is due in part to the millions of images that invade our smartphones every day. In fact, a photo taken at the right moment often excites more than many turns of phrase. If there is a professional expert in the sea and boats to take the sailing photo, then everything becomes pure magic, emotions are multiplied and the “wow” effect is assured.

This is well known by the organizers of the Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image, the world’s most important competition dedicated to sailing photographs, which each year rewards the shots that best represent the essence of sailing, but also the technical difficulties involved in the work of photographers at sea, as well as the originality of compositions. A total of 150 photographers from 29 different nationalities participated in the 2022 edition of the Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image and submitted their best shots to the six members of the jury.

A magical photo that looks like a work of art

Winning this prestigious award was Spanish photographer Nico Martinez who won everyone over with a stunning image captured during the TP52 World Championships held last June in Cascais, Portugal. In highly suggestive light, his photo captures five boats as they sail side by side. “The TP52 fleet was sailing downwind,” Martinez recalls, “with a light breeze and in a very special light. It was not a very productive day, not the typical Cascais day with wind and good light. Then I saw the composition of the five TP52s and we stopped. We looked for the ideal frame for the shot. Later, when I uploaded the photos to my computer, I was not convinced, so I put it in black and white and the magic happened. As soon as I saw it, I told myself that was the right photo.”

And he was right. “The grays, perspectives and harmony of this image,” said Nicolas Mirabaud, Managing Partner of the Mirabaud Group, “make it a true work of art. Its perfect timing and symmetries seduced me deeply.” Heavily involved in international regattas since the 1990s, Nico Martinez is appreciated by all for his professionalism and the high quality of his work. He was the official photographer of the Spanish challengers to the America’s Cup in the 1995, 2000 and 2007 editions and is also the official photographer of the TP52 and RC44 circuits.

Behind Martinez came second place German photographer Eike Schurr with a stunning image taken aboard VO65 The Austrian Ocean Race Project during a training crossing of the Atlantic between St. Maarten and the Azores. “The use of water as a framing element,” Eike explained, “was an idea that came about during the filming and gives the image more depth. Finland’s Patrick Blom took third place with his photo from the Viaporintuoppi regatta dedicated to traditional sailboats.

Italian photographer Martina Orsini also honored.

In addition to the main award, Martinez was also presented with the Delegates Award based on votes cast by attendees at the Yacht Racing Forum in Malta and the annual World Sailing conference in Abu Dhabi. In this category after Martinez, we again find Eike Schurr and Martina Orsini.

The Italian photographer also entered the top 20 Mirabaud Yacht Race Image with the black and white photo of athlete Matteo Rovere. The Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image Audience Award, based on the number of public votes cast on the Internet, finally went to Brigi Török with his photo of the Libera Raffica competing in the Bol d’Or Mirabaud.