Thanks to ever-escalating hourly helicopter prices—think $600 and up with two- to three-hour minimums more common than not—and diminished offshore racing fleets, which translates to fewer photo sales opportunities, helicopters to shoot from are a luxury for photographers these days. Most currently opt to shoot offshore races from stationary photo boats, which on one hand makes for water-level shooting—great for the boat-to-boat stuff—but limits a photographer’s angle options. Those options boil down to: boat running right to left, or left to right if the photographer is on the other side of the course, three-quarters front or rear in turns and head-on.
Catamarans coming right at you—check out the slideshow above. Photos courtesy/copyright Pete Boden/Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.
Photographer Pete Boden excels at shooting from all those angles, but from last weekend’s Offshore Powerboat Association International Race in Port Huron, Mich., and Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, he brought home an array of excellent head-on shots. And for showcasing the sheer ferocity of offshore raceboats in action, especially catamarans, head-on images are tough to beat. Coming at you in each photo, each boat looks menacing.
Next up from Port Huron? Turn shots—and Boden caught some beauties. They’ll go live Wednesday on speedonthewater.com.
Editor’s note: Complete results from the OPA International Race will be posted on the organization’s website when they become available.
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