Here at Sailing World, we see a lot of high-intensity sailing photos. From the hardcore offshore racing images coming out of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race to the athletic boathandling shots that come our way courtesy of photographers like Glennon Stratton, the photos that catch our eye tend to show racers engaged in the most competitive moments of a race.

Of course, as anyone who's ever raced a sailboat knows, those moments can be few and far between. And, for me at least, it's the fun we have in these in-between moments that makes racing worthwhile, win or lose. That's why I like the photo "Kids just want to have some fun," which shows a young sailor hiking out, arching his back, and dunking his head in the water. I imagine photographer Paul Nelson (aka dinghyman) snapped the photo while the kid and his skipper were reaching around in between races on a hot summer night somewhere in the Pacific Northwest. But I could be wrong. One thing's certain—it sure looks like fun.

For highlighting the lighthearted side of our favorite passtime, Nelson earns himself first-place honors in our Fall Photo Contest. As the grand-prize winner, he'll receive a pair of Euro Stripe gear bags from DinghyGuru.

Thanks to everyone who submitted photos, and to my fellow judge, photographer Marianne Lee.

(Click each image to view at full size)

First Place

Contributor: dinghyman
Title: "Kids just want to have some fun..."
dinghyman's Description: "Never forget how much fun it is."
Judge's Comments:
"I love fun photos like this. For some reason you just don't see enough of these." -Marianne Lee
"This photo has an old-school feel. From the vintage lifejackets to the wooden mast to the tired sails. It reminds me of the sailing scenes from 'Jaws 2.' Be careful where you dunk your head, kid!" —Michael Lovett

Second Place

Contributor: saraproctor
Title: "Anema & Core, Storm Trysail IRC's"
Judge's Comments:
"I come across a lot of photos in which there's an out-of-focus wave in the foreground and an in-focus raceboat in the background. This one stands out because the spray shrouds the entire photo in an eerie mist. Nicely done!" -Michael Lovett

Third Place

Contributor: catamaran
Title: "F18 Cat in start of large sailboats"
catamaran's Description: "A small F18 cat between the large fleet of sailboats during a start"
Judge's Comments:
"This image didn't jump out at me. But when I found the F18 mentioned in the title, I had to chuckle, thinking about the comedy of having so many dissimilar boats in one start." -Michael Lovett

• To view all entries to the contest, click here.
• For contest details, click here.
• Stay tuned for the start of SW's Winter Photo Contest...