Thomas Coville - Sodebo Ultim

Arkéa Ultime Challenge

Brest

I chose this photograph out of around ten that I had pre-selected for the competition. It doesn't show a boat, just the portrait of a great solo sailor who has just accomplished a feat, an incredible adventure, all while racing around the world, alone and against competitors perched on the craziest of sailing machines. It's a risk to present just one face. But this face bears the wrinkles and fatigue of a feat achieved in the craziest sailing race ever invented. On this face a tear beads, the last witness to what he has just experienced. This photograph inspired the following text: "A final tear... After so many miles, the face is weathered and marked by the days. This maw of the sea tells a thousand stories, of raging winds, furious waves and bewildering calms. But also moments of peace, pure serenity and symbiosis with the birds of the open sea and the rhythm of the swell. Finally, he returns, carrying the weight of the road travelled, first runner-up in a race that was born historic. His ship is the silent witness to his frantic struggles. Technology has met the raw power of the oceans. A final tear. He contemplates the quay where his race ends, where the crowd awaits him. In his tired eyes, a barely-sleeping tear shines. Now docked, the sailor's heart is filled with a curious paradox. The joy of the reunion, the emotions of the feat tinged with a strange melancholy, a gentle nostalgia that is still invisible. He brings back a small piece of driftwood, a symbol of his human condition. Amulet or allegory, Thomas is a witness to his own emotions. Simple and effective. Thank you, Thomas. This salty tear, like a precious treasure, holds memories, the joy of reunion and work accomplished. Finally, it rolls gently down his tanned cheek, a silent witness to an immense adventure that is coming to an end. Despite fatigue and hardship, this intrepid sailor has found freedom, strength and truth in the salt of the sea. So, in the midst of the noise of the reunited human race, on this joyous day, he allows this final tear his freedom. A fragile symbol of his voyage accomplished, the sailor smiles at last, at peace with his life. Weeks will pass, the foam of days will settle, the final memory will remain... " Texte et photo par Ewan

Nikon Z9, Z 600, 450, f4 , 1/640