As another boating year draws to a close, it's the perfect excuse to take a look back through some of the amazing events and images of 2016. So here we have our pick of the best boating photos from the year.

Best boating photos of 2016 Prospector

Beautiful scenery on the Costa Smeralda. Photo Carlo Borlenghi/Rolex.


1. Stunning backgrounds


The Mills 68 Prospector and the Dubios sloop Ohana race hard along the Costa Smeralda which is famous for its striking rock formations as well as its Maxi Yacht Racing.

Best boating photos of 2016 Maxi Rolex Cup

Racing through some stunning waters. Photo Carlo Borlenghi/Rolex.


2. Turquoise waters


Yachts cut close through the turquoise waters and the impressive rock formations beneath in the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup.

Best boating photos of 2016 Louis Vuitton Series

Emirates Team New Zealand sends its crew flying. Photo ACEA 2016/Ricardo Pinto.


3. America's Cup drama


Emirates Team New Zealand lose a few crew members in a mis-timed gybe practicing in Chicago for round six of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series. The error ended up with the boat capsizing, but they were up and sailing again within 15 minutes with the help of their support crew.

Best boating photos of 2016 P1 Superstock

The Superstock P1 always delivers some great images.


4. City backdrop


Action from the P1 Superstock racing circuit event, held in front of the crowds and architecturally diverse buildings in Cardiff Bay.

Best boating photos of 2016 Team Brunel

On the bow of Team Brunel. Photo RORC/Emma Louise Wyn Jones.


5. Wet foredeck action


The foredeck crew on the Volvo 65 Team Brunel working hard downwind to prepare the next sail. Bouwe Bekking skippered the boat to second place in the canting keel class in the RORC Caribbean 600.

Best boating photos of 2016 Barcolana

The impressive Barcolana. Photo DPPI.


6. Mass start


The lighthouse ‘Faro della Vittoria’ looks over the start of the Barcolana race where a huge turnout of yachts of all different sizes race in Trieste, Italy.

Best boating photos of 2016

Beautiful Antigua. Photo Tobias Stoerkle.


7. Classical beauty


The stunning Columbia slices effortlessly through the water at the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta in this shot by Tobias Stoerkle.

Best boating photos of 2016 Princess

Princess's gorgeous 30M Yacht.


8. New and stylish


A brand-new addition to the Princess range, the 30M Yacht cruises the rocky coast of Majorca in style in this impressive image.

Best boating photos of 2016:Banque Poppulaire Armel Le Cléac'h.

Armel Le Cléac'h. Photo Yvan Zedda.


9. Solo racing drama


Armel Le Cl éac´h testing the limits of his new foiling IMOCA 60 (and his waterproofs) sailing solo off of the coast of Lorient.

Best boating photos of 2016 Giraglia Rolex Cup

Written by: Gael Pawson
Gael Pawson is the editor of Yachts & Yachting Magazine and the founder of Creating Waves. A keen racer, she has sailed all her life, and started writing about the subject whilst studying journalism at university. Dinghies and small keelboats are her first loves, but she has cruised and raced a huge variety of boats in locations across the world.