I took the photo of the waterspout off the coast of Corsica in September 2001. I had gone to Porto Cervo to race on Columbia the twelve meter. we rarely got off the dock as one Mistral after another kept us ashore.
This was during 9/11. which delayed racing further, not that anyone was focused on sailing with such an event.
We were to be in Monaco for another regatta. The weather continued to delay our departure. Finally, it was leave or miss the regatta. The weather had abated a little. Valiant left before us, reporting big seas in the Straits of Bonifacio; losing her mast shortly thereafter.
We left, cautiously, once in the lee of Corsica, we felt somewhat relived. I took this photo of the water spout from the deck of Columbia; and very pleased to have taken it. Many years ago, while racing on Charisma off Palma di Majorca we started a race amidst more than twenty spouts all around us. It was a spectacular sight. I was never able to take a photograph then, I was otherwise occupied, and had been waiting for another opportunity.
