Friend and contributor (while I ran that other site), Shanghai Sailor is back and I am thrilled! Battling some health issues, he is nonetheless writing again, and here he gives his perspective on the recently deceased photographer Carlo Borlenghi.
GOAT (Greatest of all times) is a term thrown around to support the actions of a individual but is so often the subject of opinion or debate. However our sport has lost an important gifted individual of our community who largely rewrote the way in which it could be portrayed.
Not a multiple Olympic Medallist or major race winner, to Call Carlo Borlenghi just a photographer would be like calling Picasso just a painter except his tool was a camera lens rather than a brush.
He turned yachting photography from a largely reportage type format into, in many instances, an art form. I actually have one of his books from years back and always marvelled at the images it contained but for many years I didn’t realise he was the author because is didn’t shout “I am Carlo”, rather, as usual, he let the work do the shouting.
It started for him when he became Azura’s photographer way back in 1983 and flowed through all the way to the present with the Volvo Ocean Race, The America’s Cup and many of the big, Rolex sponsored event covered by himself or photographers representing Studio Borlenghi.
Although I drove on occasion some of the best in the business I never had the honour to take Carlo round the race course to exercise his craft some of the results of which raised the bar of excellence, an excellence that deservedly led to his reputation not only amongst the public but amongst his peers and also led to his many awards for his work.
I was surprised to learn he was just few months younger than myself as he always appeared to have so much vitality when around an event.
Over the past few years we have lost a number of people who have helped spread the word of our sport to the wider public; Bob Fisher, “Mr America’s Cup”a dear friend who encouraged my early writing; The two Peters – ‘PJ’ Montgomery known down under as “The Voice o the America’s Cup featured in the movie “Wind” when an authentic voice was required. Retired but still with us. Sadly the other Peter, Peter Lester, a lifelong sailor, OK World Champion and twice winner of New Zealand Yachtsman of the year passed away last year having provide more recent AC Commentary to the world.
Good to see a new generation taking over and just this morning I watched the 470 World Championship from the Japanese Olympic Marina commentated by Andy Rice , concise with informational description without the often pointless often heard from non sailors trying to describe our sport.
Rest in Peace Carlo, you have joined a select group from the past of those who spread the word about how visually wonderful our sport can be. I will leave further comments about his life and work to those who knew him rather better than myself.
Alistair Skinner aka Shanghai Sailor
