The Nord Stream Race has produced over 10,000 images during the ten days of Baltic offshore racing that has covered 750 nautical miles along the route of the new natural gas pipeline which links Russia and the European Union. The imagery is taken from a full range of aerial, on-board and shore-side angles which has stimulated a download figure to date of almost 3,000.
Matt Dickens, Photographer, on Edition commented:
“The inaugural Nord Stream Race from a photographic perspective was a huge success. The stunning backdrops of Saint Petersburg, Helsinki, Gotland and Greifswald have made for some spectacular images. From a racing perspective, the event has brought together a mix of club sailors and the cream of the America’s Cup, which made for some fantastic and tactical racing and of course quality photography. I especially enjoyed activity during the match racing where the teams were at times separated by only the length of their bowsprit.”
From climbing hills to helicopter rides and ascents up masts in freezing conditions the photography team took on a huge challenge in order to bring together all the faces of the Nord Stream Race. Out of the huge portfolio four images have been selected to capture the spirit of the Nord Stream Race this year. From race leg starts to fast paced passage runs and champagne celebrations during nightfall, the images offer a sense of the achievement all crews feel on completion of such a new race routing through the Baltic Sea.
One image required additional technical expertise taken in fantastic natural light at the start of Leg 2 racing from Helsinki, Finland to Gotland, Sweden as the fleet head out into the sunset along the horizon.
“The shot has a wonderful atmospheric quality to it because of the long distance that I was from the Nord Stream Race fleet. It was shot on a Canon 1D mk 1V and a Canon 300 f2.8 lens, at 1/6400 sec at f3.5. Shooting directly into the sun makes the water come alive and illuminates the sails of the yachts to make an arresting final image of a long day on the Baltic Sea”, commented Dickens.