JUDGED BY THE COVER

Taken against the backdrop of Bora Bora, this month’s cover shot features Royal Huisman’s 81m Sea Eagle, photographed by Tim McKenna.

“That’s Mount Otemanu in the background. It’s so distinctive, as are the shades of blue in its lagoon,” says Tim. “We had begun photographing with a drone, but I wanted to get higher while the boat was running along the reef fringe, so we took to the helicopter.”

Tim has been based in French Polynesia for over twenty years and considers it the perfect setting for yacht photography. “It all started for me here with photographing the beautiful 1902 Shenandoah in the Marquesas Islands. At the time, drones didn’t exist, and we were lucky to find a helicopter that was there for medical evacuations!” explains Tim.

Nowadays, Tim has a team on hand to assist, “I appreciate the teamwork these shoots take. They’re intense – we usually do both photo and video over two or three days, and the commitment from the yacht’s crew is really what makes it happen.”

Tim remains inspired by the architecture and engineering of large yachts, “These yachts are stunning, and I get to shoot them in the most beautiful setting!” We couldn’t agree more…