I hate that hackneyed word ‘iconic’ but it’s hard to think of a better one for this superb shot by the great Thierry Martinez of Michel Desjoyeaux in Vendée Globe celebration mode.

It also highlights an interesting point. Thierry makes the comment in his blog – which is a must-read for sailing teams, PRs and anyone keen on photography – that red flares are so intense they ‘burn’ the faces of the sailing stars they are intended to illuminate.

That’s why he’s converted Mich Desj into black and white and kept the rest in colour, though the treatment also gives it an historic quality.

Anyone planning a race finish should read Thierry’s suggestions . He’s quite right that flare photos, like images of people spraying champagne, are the money shots and it’s worth thinking about how to get them just right.

See a selection of Thierry’s, and some of the other top marine photographers’ work at Sea&Co