There are literally thousands of sailing photos out there in the big wide world but we are searching for what people consider to be the most famous one of all.

It doesn't have to be a classic, but it does have to represent the true passion that is sailing.

To make this more interesting, we are offering the LSD reader who finds a famous photo and gives the best explanation as to why their particular choice is above all the rest a swag of prizes. We have HEAPS of stock in our prize cupboard to give away but won't tell the winner what they have picked up until they are announced. (Here is a clue though, it could be something from SLAM or Deck Hardware.)

Start searching!

this has got to be the most famous sailing photo around to be able to take that is just awesome.

Yep I agree, thats why it's on the wall above the tv, you can stare at it for hours, longer than I can look at the tv anyway!!!

This one is a classic. These old J's just scream of ageless, classic lines and raw power combined into one. I'd love to get the chance to sail one of these.

not sure you can have just one photo as the "most famous" but this one has been around for years, and has seen itself as the back drop to many advertisements etc.....even though its a catwacking machine!

any winners yet

I'm waiting for a few more contributors!

How about Stripeys pic of robbo in the southport race that year?

Ive herd of a pic in the rq bar area of a bigger yacht getting airborne going out the bar at inskip, doing a delivery from the Gladstone race that year... cant remember the name of the boat tho.

That would be this photo of "Belle" at Wide Bay Bar?

And this amazing sequence from the Olympics caught everyones attention...

And this photo might not be 'famous' but I just like it.

Famous photos...the only ones that I have seen before are the ones from sea bogan and toyko...

The wide bar one is familiar, but I cant remember seeing the rail of the boat that it was taken from before....

yea belle at wide bay bar would be it...

Sea Bogans entry is a great photo, but imho its not the best one of that particular event. That photo was actually the first of three in the sequence which showed the nosedive, the second one was the pitchpole, the third one the broach. I reckon the second photo (below) is the money shot.

From "Scott's Sailing Page"... In the October, 1996 issue of Yachting World there was a remarkable series of photographs taken during Cowes Week. On Tuesday, a weather system moved through the racing fleet causing countless incidents, but none quite as spectacular is the pitchpoling of Jocelyn Waller's Bashford Howison 41, Silk 2. As fate would have it, a photographer from Beken of Cowes was just a short distance away and snapped this series of photos.

Silk 2 was carrying their .9oz asymmetric spinnaker and full main "at their limit" in a steady 28 knots of wind. They had just been hit by a 35-knot gust and had a lot of water weighing down the foredeck when a second gust in the mid-40s hit the boat. They were doing 18-20 knots when the boat nosedived.

Silk 2 withdrew from the race when attempts to pick up crew overboard under sail failed and they turned on the engine. She survived with a broken pushpit, pulpit and stanchion and later went on to win Class 1 CHS.

I don't expect to win the comp with this..... but we have a print at our club of Gretel KA1. It is not a photo, but a print that looks like it was painted.

There are no other boats in the picture. The picture is looking at the stern. They have the kite up and from memory I think the helmsman is the only crew visible. There is plenty of white water off the stern and looks a picture. I wish I could get a photo of it but it is locked up in a construction area, part of and ongoing building extension.

KA1 was the first ever Australian 12 Metre and was the beginning of the Australia II victory. Bondy bought KA1 as the test bed for Southern Cross, his first Americas Cup boat.

Some great photos!

I think I know who the winner will be...

i no its a painting but still the Cutty Sark is an awesome sight!

I reckon whoever wins this comp would be thoroughly chuffed to get a Deck Hardware Velocitek!

and the winner is...

Cutty Sark. Cause big sails win big races.

it did win the big race didnt it lol... also need a crew that doesn't pay the bills on board to push hard haha

Hi there,
I am newbie and have been looking through the forum here. Eclipse, I read your post and thought you might like to know that my mother-in-law owned Gretel for around 10 years. She had it as a charter in the Whitsundays for day trips. My wife worked on her for a while too. She has some photos of her knocking around and I will see if I can send you some. If I can't find any we hope to be in Newcastle around Easter time (we live in the UK, family is in Newcastle NSW) and maybe get some then for your club. There is a picture somewhere of her in Sydney Harbour as the bridge is being built. The last I heard she was in Italy in Porto Santo Stefano being restored. Let me know if you are interested.

yaaaaaawn, this comp has been going for six weeks now, lets put it to bed please. THIS photo by Richard Bennett wins the prize.

Was looking for a different shot of Australia II but obviously it isn't famous enough.