Rick Tomlinson

Rick Tomlinson is one of yachting’s most accomplished photographers, but he is also an accomplished sailor.

- Andy Schell

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 of fit 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 if I stayed on the Isle of Man, it was never going to happen. So I got myself to the South Coast. You’ve got to embed yourself with the team to the point that when the boat sets off, you’re just one of the crew. Then I met Skip Novak. He was brought in to project manage what ended up becoming Drum. Eventually, Skip said, “Yeah. Okay. You can be on the crew.” I was a trimmer and pit man.

How did you become the unofficial photographer on Drum?

I literally just started taking pictures on board that boat. I had 20 rolls of Kodachrome and a basic, simple Nikon.

To do what you do, you have to be open to opportunities and be brave and flexible enough to go and seek those things out. Did you find that sort of thing happened in your career?

Definitely. I only had two proper jobs in my life, and they added to the sort of person that I am and the sort of experiences that I’ve had. I was pretty late getting married too, so I didn’t have those commitments and was able to follow my leads and make spur of the moment decisions.

You were a crucial member of the sailing team on the Drum. When did you have time for photography?

I would do it off watch. As soon as I knew there was going to be a sail change, I’d get out of my bunk, put my gear on, go up on deck and photograph it.