30 November, 2016

Jean-Marie Liot, from France, has won the seventh edition of the Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image.

His picture of Morgan Lagravière training ahead of the Vendée Globe onboard his IMOCA Safran, entirely submerged by a wave at high speed, was chosen by the five panel jury out of 149 entries.

“When I took this picture, I immediately knew I would send it to the Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image award,” said Liot.

“The conditions were perfect and Morgan was pushing hard. I am very happy to win this contest, because it reassembles the best yacht racing photographers and the jury is made of professionals from within the yacht racing industry. It’s a real achievement,” he added.

Based in Vannes, in Brittany, Liot has been working as a professional yacht racing photographer since 1994.

One of the jury, Volvo Ocean Race winner, Ian Walker, said he never realised how hard the judging would be.

“There are so many wonderful shots, each with their own beautiful story to tell. If ever there was a competition that didn’t deserve to have winners and losers then this was it! It was a privilege to be able to study these wonderful photos from so many talented photographers,” said Walker.

Another jury member, yachting journalist and writer, Keith Taylor added: “The savage beauty of Jean-Marie’s stunning white welter of water was a stand-out choice in an exceptional field of entries. It speaks volumes about personal courage, vast technological growth, sailing skill and performance.”

Continues below…

Delegates from the Yacht Racing Forum and World Sailing’s annual conference chose Nico Martinez’s photograph for the Yacht Racing Forum award.

Christophe Huchet won the public award, based on the votes on Facebook.

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:

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:

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

The Jury of the Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image 2016:

Andy Hunt (World Sailing CEO, UK)
Keith Taylor (marine writer, editor and marine publicist, NZL)
Antonio Palma (Managing Partner of Mirabaud, SUI)
Anna-Lena Elled (yachting journalist and picture editor, SWE)
Ian Walker (pro sailor, winner of the Volvo Ocean Race, UK)

4 November, 2016

The top 20 pictures from the 2016 Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image award have been selected by the competition’s international jury.

No less than 149 professional photographers, from 25 countries, submitted a picture for the prestigious award.

The top 80 pictures were selected by a panel of international yacht racing photographers, before the international jury chose the finalists.

The top 20 photographers (in alphabetical order) are:

Eugenia Bakunova (RUS)
Christian Beeck (GER)
Matias Capizzano (ITA)
Rachel Fallon-Langdon (UK)
Luis Fernandez (SPA)
Richard Gladwell (NZL)
Alex Irwin (UK)
Pierick 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)

The final 20 photographs will be exhibited during World Sailing’s Annual Conference in Barcelona, which starts on 5 November, 2016.

There are three prizes up for grabs in the Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image contest.

The main prize is the Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image, selected by the international jury made up of Andy Hunt (World Sailing), Keith Taylor (marine writer, editor and marine publicist), Antonio Palma (CEO, Mirabaud & Cie), Anna-Lena Elled (yachting journalist and picture editor), and Ian Walker (winner of the Volvo Ocean Race).

The Yacht Racing Forum Award is decided by the 700 delegates of World Sailing’s Annual conference and the 300 delegates of the Yacht Racing Forum, which takes place in Malta from 28-29 November, 2016.

The Public Award is based on the number of public votes via the competition’s website. These are not restricted to the top 20 images selected by the international jury.

Started in 2010, the Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image award is the world’s premier photography competition dedicated to the sport of sailing, celebrating the very best yacht racing image taken during the year.

 

19 October, 2016

Some of the world’s greatest marine and yacht racing photographers have entered this year’s international Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image contest.

This year has seen the highest participation rate so far, with 149 professional photographers from 25 countries entering the competition.

Their best 80 shots, taken between November 1, 2015, and October 13, 2016, were preselected by a panel of three well recognised yacht racing photographer including Rick Tomlinson.

The public now have the chance to vote for their favourite picture.

The winning image and its photographer will be celebrated at the Yacht Racing Forum in Malta on November 29, 2016.

The Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image is open to professional photographers from all over the world.

The contest, which began in 2010, aims to pay tribute to the work of these artists, to provide them with a promotional platform and to help promote the sport of sailing to a wider audience.

Three prizes will be awarded at the Yacht Racing Forum:

•  The main prize is the ‘Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image’, selected by the international jury: Andy Hunt (World Sailing CEO, UK), Keith Taylor (marine writer, editor and marine publicist, NZL), Antonio Palma (CEO, Mirabaud & Cie SA, SUI), Anna-Lena Elled (yachting journalist and picture editor, SWE), and Ian Walker (pro sailor, UK, winner of the Volvo Ocean Race)

• The ‘Yacht Racing Forum Award’, decided by the 700 delegates of World Sailing’s Annual conference and the 300 delegates of the Yacht Racing Forum.

• The ‘Public Award’ is based on the number of votes on Internet. This is a fun award, aimed at increasing the visibility of both the photographers and the entire contest. Photographers are encouraged to like and share pictures, and to do as much self-promotion as they like. This prizes recognizes the quality of the winning picture as well as the photographers’ network and the support he (she) can generate around him and his (her) photograph.

Last year’s winner was the Greek photographer Nikos Zagas.

He won with his photograph of the Greek Olympic team preparing for the competition.

International financial services Group Mirabaud is the official title sponsor of the Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image award.