Rick Tomlinson

Rick Tomlinson is one of yachting’s most accomplished photographers, but he is also an accomplished sailor. We recently travelled to his studio in Cowes, on England’s Isle of Wight, to find out more about his career.

How did you get into sailing?

I grew up on the Isle of Man, a small island in the middle of the Irish Sea. The only way to get off it was to sail, so I learned to sail.

What got you hot on the Whitbread Round The World Race?

When I was in school, my biggest ambition was to do the Whitbread. The people who did the Whitbread were really the mavericks of sailing. I realized that. Eventually, Skip said, “Yeah. Okay. You can be on the crew.” I was a trimmer and pit man.