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After
an overnight stop in Havana our arrival at the Isla de la
Juventud, otherwise known as the Isle of Youth or Isle of
Pines, was a chance to meet up with many old friends that
I have dived with and know from other events. Sixteen countries
were represented, from Europe and such far flung places as
New Zealand, Brazil, South Korea, who hope to host the next
World Championships, and the U.S.A. It was interesting to
see the differences in teams from one country to another.
Each
team could consist of 2 photographers, 2 models and a team
captain as well as other non-competing divers and Italy and
Germany for instance both had large teams, I was rather conscious
of the small size of the British team, limited to just myself
and assistant Debbie Perrin, due to a mix-up in communication
and failure to find financial sponsorship. Such feelings were
soon overcome by the friendliness of everyone towards us though.
Inevitably there are elements of rivalry in an event of this
nature but my own experience is that national boundaries seem
to dissolve into an international club of underwater photographers.
The
diving was well organised with ample space on the hard boats
even though countries shared these; we shared our boat with
the Swiss and Norwegians. Our day of diving prior to the two
days of competition commenced with a minor panic when we discovered
that Debbie's regulator didn't fit the cylinders and all the
regulators available for hire had already gone. At the last
minute, when the crew were starting to become restless, a
suitable fitting was found, Debbie's second stage dismantled
and reassembled, and we set off. The island is off the Caribbean
coast of Cuba and the reefs are similar to those of the nearby
Cayman Is., though not so rich. The water was warm but the
visibility was not at its best and the fish were scattered
rather than in tight shoals; even so the opportunities for
photography were immense as was evident in the range of shots
produced, particularly the winners.
As
the first day of the competition dawned we eagerly drew back
the curtains to be greeted with grey skies and rain. Hadn't
we left that behind in London- Sunshine broke through after
breakfast though and transformed the scene. Four rolls of
Fujichrome Velvia, or a mixture of Velvia (rated at about
40 ASA) and Fujichrome 100, were supplied to each competitor.
We
were allowed two dives per day and 1 hour for each dive; air
was no problem as the cylinders were enormous, at least for
myself and even more so Debbie who is a petite 5ft tall. I
worked hard underwater, grateful for Debbie's able assistance,
but the I hours allotted which had seemed so generous went
by in about five minutes except that my gauges told me otherwise.
The
construction and painting of the stage for the presentations
had provided entertainment for us as we sipped our drinks
by the hotel pool on our first day. Now, on the evening before
the awards ceremony only one thing was missing, a screen for
the slideshow. A sheet hung up, rippling limply in the breeze,
was greeted with less than enthusiasm by the judges who demanded
something more professional. Luckily in Cuba, where nothing
can be done until the last minute, absolutely anything can
be accomplished at a moment's notice and a smooth white-painted
wooden screen was put together to do justice to the slides.
The
title of World Champion of Underwater Photography went to
Franco Banfi of Switzerland, well known for his photographic
successes, as the individual winner and to Italy for the winning
team. Both awards were well deserved for their inventive and
eye- catching photographs.
I
didn't win any awards on this occasion but I was very glad
to have taken part in such a well-organised and enjoyable
event. A great experience, thanks to everyone present: the
photographers and their teams; the judges, including Christian
Ide of C.M.A.S., and Michael Portelly, who achieved meteoric
success in past competitions before taking up an even more
challenging role as film maker of underwater adverts, and
the Cuban Federation who hosted the event and covered the
photographers' on site expenses. Particular congratulations
and thanks are due to the organisers led by Lionel Pozzoli,
who put in so much hard work to make the Championships run
smoothly.
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