CRUISE CONTROL

I hadn’t sailed a remote control boat in about 20 years when I met Chuck LeMahieu at a regatta in San Diego that I was shooting back in 2019. He is the US DF95 distributor and he quickly had me hooked. The DragonFlite 95 remote-control high-performance sailboat is a challenge and it is a blast. For someone who loves a bit of competition and working things out – I have become a bit obsessed with having a tricked-out boat – tuning the boat for different weather conditions and courses (See the slightly embarrassing but equally flattering Sailing World article by Dave Reed below). It takes some practice and you have to get it right at the dock. Unlike a full-size race boat there are no changes on-board. In addition to the challenge, the gangs of friends I have met and reconnected with has been great too. Over the past year, I’ve gotten the opportunity to sail with fun folks in Georgia, South Carolina, Florida and Rhode Island – From Bruce Farr and some of the 11th Hour crew – to amateur sailors and enthusiasts alike. It’s impressive, no matter your experience level, you can ace the race or shit the bed.

If you wanna check it out further – maybe get hooked – get over to the DF95 groups on the web.

DragonFlite 95 USA Class Owners Association

Charleston Model Yacht Club

S.T.Y.G. Sail Newport Thumb Yachting Guild

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...

I collaborated with Erin Schanen on the GEAR column for the 2020 September issue of Sailing magazine. There are some great options to explore for sports photography enthusiasts wanting to up their drone and underwater photography game.

LIGHT OF THE WORLDS

For a sport photographer the J Worlds was a true highlight this summer. If you missed it – you missed out. These commanding boats and the level of athleticism of these sailors is impressive. The conditions too presented a great challenge — thick fog to blue skies. The push to get a great shot was worth it all in the end. Sailing World produced a great feature article with Kimball Livingston that I am proud to have collaborated with on my images. No matter how many times I see my work in print it gives me a thrill. Hopefully you get a chance to grab a copy. 

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