Shooting an RS21 Club Regatta in Saint Petersburg

The day played a small trick on me. Sunshine, fifteen degrees, a calendar that said mid-May — for a moment it really did feel like summer had quietly arrived in Saint Petersburg. Then I got closer to the water. On land it was spring; on the bay it was still that other season sailors know well, the one that asks you to keep your jacket on. Crews in wetsuits were already prepping their boats, and I was running through lenses in my head, working out where to stand for the first start. The plan for the day: a Sila Vetra sailing school club regatta on SV20 yachts, four races in total — three long ones and a short, sharp sprint.

From the first gun, the day picked up its own rhythm. The SV20 is a lively, responsive boat, and the crews moved on it cleanly, almost choreographed — which is a gift for a sports photographer. Every tack, every trim adjustment offered a frame. The longer races stretched the drama across the course: some teams clawed back seconds upwind, others made their move on the downwind legs. The short race was the most nervous of all — at that distance, the start basically decides everything, and the fight at the first mark was elbow to elbow. I worked the wet decks, the focused faces, the spray catching the low sun.

By the final race, it was clear the real opponent wasn’t the boat next door — it was the wind, which had stiffened by late afternoon, and the cold water underneath it. Crews came ashore tired and happy; I came ashore with full memory cards and that familiar feeling that sailing match photography never really gets old. Days like this are exactly why I love covering sport in Saint Petersburg — the weather always insists on being part of the story.

See the full gallery with the best moments from the Sila Vetra SV20 club regatta here: Club Regatta on SV20 Yachts.