Behind the Scenes, June-July 2022

Sharon Green

The walls of Scuttlebutt HQ include the Ultimate Sailing calendar, and in this report Sharon Green shares the behind-the-scenes story regarding the June and July 2022 images.

Who else has found the last few months chock-full of events: weddings, travels, birthday parties, and celebrations of all sorts? I confess: I’ve been out and about enjoying the company of so many people I’ve missed, and been remiss in pulling together the Ultimate Sailing Blog. Forgive me, but we’re back on track with a June-July combo sure to make you smile.

From IOR to ULDB to IACC – in the four decades since I launched Ultimate Sailing, the acronyms have been flying as yacht design has developed at warp speed! The images on these pages illustrate the breadth of boats that capitalized on those advancements, in every aspect of design, material and technology.

At the top of our June pages, Seattle’s OneWorld Challenge for the America’s Cup practices for the Louis Vuitton trials in the Hauraki Gulf. OneWorld was one of nine teams from six countries who took on an exhausting 120-race series to see who would face the defender – Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron – in the 2003 Cup. In the finals OneWorld was edged out by Alinghi, who went on to beat Oracle in the Louis Vuitton series, and sweep the America’s Cup!

But it wasn’t for lack of trying by OneWorld, as you can see in this powerful image of one of their grueling practice sessions northeast of Auckland.

Meanwhile in another hemisphere, these Aussie 18 skiff sailors (inset) face their own grueling episode in San Francisco’s Golden Gate to Bay Bridge race. Although 6,500 miles apart, these teams no doubt experienced the same intensity and frigid spray.

Alas a warm shower and cold Dark and Stormy awaited the skiff sailors after their single day’s adventure, in the cozy bar at St. Francis Yacht Club.

Jumping to July, we flashback to the 1980s. ‘Big hair, wide lapels and huge colorful kites and bloopers. Although early days in my career, these were also some of my favorites, thanks to the vibrancy of the sails and even the sailing gear. – Full report