CARLO BORLENGHI
Photographer
Born in Bellano, on Lake Como, on 10 July 1956, he began his career as a photographer by covering local sailing regattas. Still young, thanks to his passion for the sea and his collaboration with Uomo Mare Vogue magazine, he travelled the world photographing the most important international sailing events. At just 27, in 1983, he covered the
exploits of Azzurra, the first Italian yacht to compete in the America’s Cup, held in Newport, Rhode Island, USA.
From then on, he covered several America’s Cup campaigns:
Azzurra, Newport (USA) — 1983
Italia, Fremantle (Australia) — 1987
Stars and Stripes vs KZ1, San Diego (USA) — 1988
Moro di Venezia, San Diego (USA) — 1992
Team New Zealand vs Young America, San Diego (USA) — 1995
Luna Rossa, Auckland (New Zealand) — 2000
Luna Rossa, Auckland (New Zealand) — 2003
Official photographer for the 32nd America’s Cup, ACM — 2007
Alinghi, Valencia (Spain) — 2010
Luna Rossa, San Francisco (USA) — 2013
BMW, Bermuda — 2017
Luna Rossa, COR and ACM, Auckland (New Zealand) — 2021
Luna Rossa, Barcelona (Spain) — 2024
He photographed Rolex’s international sailing events.
From 1994 onwards, he followed Giovanni Soldini’s boats, round-the-world
voyages and adventures:
Stupefacente Kodak (50 ft), 1994
Telecom Italia (60 ft), 1996
Tim Progetto Italia (trimaran), from 2001
Telecom Italia (40 ft), from 2007
He also covered several editions of the Whitbread Round the World Race:
Gatorade, 1989–90
Brooksfield, 1993–94
Merit Cup, 1993–94
Merit, 1997–98
In 2000, he photographed Grant Dalton’s Club Med, winner of The Race, a non-stop, unassisted catamaran race around the world.
He was the official photographer for Amer Sports One and Amer Sports Too during the 2001–02 Volvo Ocean Race.
In 1983, he received the “Marian Skubin” award for the best sports photograph published in Italy. He also won the “Marina di Pescara” award for promoting nautical photography in Italy for three consecutive years.
In 1986, he won the Grand Prix Professionnel de la Photo de Mer in Paris, organised by the French Chamber of Commerce.
In 2003, he won the “Omega Fotocronache” award for best sports photographer.
In 2007, he won the Grand Prix de l’Image Course au Large at the 2007 Paris Boat Show.
In 2007, in recognition of “many years of dedicated work in support of the sailing world”, he received a plaque from the President of the Italian Republic, Giorgio Napolitano.
In 2007, his photographs were exhibited at the Louis Vuitton space in Paris as part of Winds and Sails, an exhibition dedicated to the America’s Cup.
In 2012, he held a solo exhibition at the Mairie of the 16th arrondissement in Paris.
In 2015, he held a solo exhibition at the Dream Factory space in Milan.
Also in 2015, he held a solo exhibition at the Arsenale in Iseo.
Every year, he published books and calendars dedicated to the sea, collaborating with leading Italian and international newspapers and publications.
Enthusiasm and passion were always at the heart of his professional philosophy. Open to innovation and always ready for new adventures, he was supported by a team of young, motivated collaborators. Carlo Borlenghi died on 3 August 2026, a profound loss to the world of sailing photography.
