Oceanracing 2002 - Around Alone

Betreff: A TRIBUTE TO BILLY BLACK
Absender: "Aroundalone"
Datum: 30. May 2003 18:47

A TRIBUTE TO BILLY BLACK
There is one person whose name has become synonymous with the Around Alone since the very first race in 1982 and that person is Billy Black, the world renown photographer from Portsmouth, Rhode Island. For reasons known only to Billy, the sailors that sign up for this solo trip around the world strike a chord with his photographic senses, and between them and the boats they sail Billy has become incurably hooked on the event. Over the years he has recorded the trials, triumphs and tribulations of this unique band of traveling gypsies and along the way he has won the hearts of all of them.

Bernard with Catherine and Chloe - Billy Black photo

Billy?s participation in this most recent edition of the Around Alone was no less intense, and no less successful.
Billy was the official photographer for Brad van Liew, Emma Richards and Bernard Stamm,
and over the last nine months he captured some stunning images of all three. In typical Billy Black style he also gave his time and effort unstintingly to the other competitors, those without sponsors and photographic budgets, and to recognize that effort and to thank Billy for all he has done for the race a special section on the website has been created to display a small sample of his tens of thousands of amazing images. This is not to take away from Roy Riley and Mark Pepper from Marinepics who were the official photographers of this race and who also captured some incredible images of their own. Their work is displayed throughout the multimedia gallery. This sampling of Billy?s work is way for you, the avid fan of this great race, to once more relive some of t he excitement from the past year with fresh images, and a small way for us, the race organizers, to thank you for following the race and being an important part of this event. Without the competitors and those interested in following their exploits there would be no need for race organizers nor events of this kind.

If there is one quality about Billy that stands out it?s his sensitivity. As a person he is incredibly compassionate and these qualities are reflected in his work. Somehow he is able to capture a persons inner thoughts; you can see their soul through the look in their eyes and Billy knows this. When it comes to marine photography, Billy is uniquely able to capture what it is that attracts up to this wonderful vocation. Sometimes we wonder why we are so hopelessly hooked on sailboats and then suddenly we see one of Billy?s images and it all makes sense. As an Around Alone photographer Billy always goes the extra mile. When a boat is arriving in port there is no need to ask if Billy is out there. He?s likely been out there hours before the rest of us leave the dock, sometimes heading more than twenty miles offshore to find the boat. That way he is able to capture the skipper still in Around Alone sailing mode rather than Around Alone arriving mode, and some of thos e images are the most serene.

This small gallery of Billy?s images is only a sampling. If you want a good look at his work visit the Museum of Yachting in Newport, Rhode Island for a wonderful multimedia exhibit featuring Billy?s photo?s. The museum is open from 10:00 until 17:00 daily. I hope that you enjoy the photos and will stay with us over the weekend as we bring you the final finisher in this great event; the intrepid Canadian Mountie sailing Sprit of Canada.

Note: Apologies to all those who have been following the race - the server that sends out these email updates had problems at the very critical time when all the boats were finishing. If you did not receive them it's because of these problems. All the images and stories are on line at www.aroundalone.com/raceviewer/archive and will reindex there for the foreseeable future.

--- Brian Hancock great.circle@verizon.net Have you read Brian's new book? For more information go to www.1wsv.com/risk.htm