12 Images of Okinawa's Sailing Sabani Boats

Itoman City Mayor's Cup Race

The event took place NOV 13th at Bibi Beach in Itoman, Okinawa, Japan.

Ryukyu Life dictates, I must spend a few days getting a feel for things.

Two days and nights of, having too much fun, can wear a cameraman out.  I loved it !

In no particular order other than, how they came out of the camera, here are some of the boats.

One of the things, I enjoy most, about the Ryukyu Islands is November weather.

This scene, depicts the rugged working conditions, I never complain about.

Two cameras and three lenses, accompanied me on this trip, along with a sturdy tripod.

Wide angle shots were planned, for catching many boats in scenes.

But, I wanted the ability, to photograph, Ken Uehara, during the races, also.

He is sort of a living legend and, over the years, has become a good friend of mine.

Five years, my senior, Ken stands out on the jetty, to wave a red flag, starting each race.

And, he makes me sit next to him, as an honored guest, during evening celebrations.

At times, sabani boats move faster, with the sail lowered, using paddle power.

Offered a ride on a safety/escort boat, I declined. I'm not that crazy.

A tripod, works much better, when your feet are on the ground.

It took some maneuvering around but, I could capture photos, in the light I liked best.

An escort boat's mission, is primarily for the safety of the boat teams.

Riding aboard one of them, would often require, shooting towards the sun.

For me, catching some of the boat crew's faces, was more important.

Off in the distance, the Kerama Islands, can be seen on the horizon.

The orange buoy marks the finish of the races.

Over the course of two days and nights, I must have taken 2,000 photos.

Hopefully, each team got their photos taken and, I can give them some pictures.

Now, I'm sort of an old guy and, got stuck, shooting a team of girls. Yuk.

But, when I do an event like this, I try to get all the teams.

Well, in the photo at the top of this page, those girls came in 1st place.

The little darlings.... Now, I love them all !