"This photograph was taken during the Regates Royale in Cannes which is held in late September every year just as the summer weather begins to change to something more autumnal. Cannes famously provides exciting conditions as the benign weather of the summer is replaced by something a little less predictable. One thing you can guarantee is a mixture of conditions: glorious sunshine with no breeze, gale force winds, hail, electrical storms - all in the same day! The man hanging onto the boom on the leeward side had been sent down to fix a sheet that had come loose in the strong conditions. Crewing on a classic yacht is all about balance, timing, strength and total commitment to the task in hand. Following in the rib we just happened to be in the right place at the right time as he climbed back to the safety of the windward side. Luckily I had my 70-200mm lens to hand, which allowed me to zoom in on the action, foreshortening the dramatic scene. The quarter wake from Mariquita in the foreground gives the picture the extra depth. Within a couple of seconds he was back with the rest of the crew on starboard and the shot was gone."