by Antonio Vettese
Very different environmental conditions within a rather small area covering 1,586 hectares. The Pian di Spagna and Lago di Mezzola Reserve in the northern part of Lake Como is the natural habitat for the 268 bird species sighted in one of the most important stopover and wintering grounds for European birds.
Carlo and I shared the dinghy many times during the America’s Cup and many other regattas: in the last years we experienced together beautiful moments of great sailing around the world. During the regattas I enjoyed being at sea near the boats feeling the tension of the fighting. I loved being with Carlo and watching him on duty, trying to catch something of his special eye on the sea and yachting. In this way I learned a lot about how to capture instant images and stories, and I can admit that in some ways I stole something of his skill that I also use daily in my work as a journalist.
Born on the shores of Lake Como, Carlo Borlenghi has spent most of his time chasing and shooting the fastest and coolest sailing yachts all around the world, from the Mediterranean sea to the Caribbean, from the Indian to the Pacific Ocean.
Official photographer of the America’s Cup and of the most important regattas, he shows us his other great love in all its wonderful expressions.
The way Carlo catches the momentum and captures emotion is unique: the whole story is in a single shot, and that is the magic of great photographers. Today when I see his work I am still surprised: after so many years of hard work he is always innovating, changing the game and looking for new emotions below and above the water line. He always shot with whatever came into his hands: cameras, smartphones, iPads, drones. He invented the «pole» underwater camera: he stays on the boat and waits for the boat to approach and then shoot. I can imagine he is also filming when he dreams. He is one of the few who has filled his work with passion, never lowering the bar.
We all know his work on boats and boating, but once I discovered some of his intimate secrets while we were on holidays with his wife Alessandra. So, we decided to publish on Yacht Design some images of real life and nature that enter his intimate world. They were all shot by Carlo when he was not at sea closely following regattas around the world like no one else.
Carlo Borlenghi was born in 1956 in Bellano (Lake Como) where he started his career as a photographer following the local regattas. Since 1983, he has photographed the America’s Cup regattas, following the endeavors of Azzurra, the very first Italian c hallenge. He became official photographer for America’s Cup’s campaigns of Italia, il Moro di Venezia, Luna Rossa, Alinghi, Bmw.
He was the official photographer for ACM (the event organizer) in Valencia 2007. Wherever there is an important sailing regatta, Carlo is there. Photos and the sea are his life and very few people around the world has the same experience and the same sensitive eye.
