Rule 69 Blog

Rule 69 Blog

Carlo - a personal reflection

The greatest America's Cup photographer passes too soon.

Magnus Wheatley's avatar
Magnus Wheatley
Aug 03, 2026
∙ Paid

I had the extraordinary privilege of knowing Carlo Borlenghi for some 20-odd years and can vividly recall the first time I met him in Auckland at the America’s Cup in 2000. Bob Fisher introduced him to me saying “this man is a legend” and we chatted over a Marlboro Red out the back of the media centre. He was quiet. His English was broken but two cigarettes later he asked me to come upstairs to see what was a very early and rudimentary version of PhotoShop - the software that defined a generation of photography. I had simply never been exposed to such wizardry. Digital cameras were the preserve of the wealthy, and I sat in wonder as he showed me how he finished a photo. It was mind-blowing.

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