Based in Asia. Filming the World.

In 1996, the New York-based sports promotions company IMG commissioned Channel Nine in Perth to solve the practical problems and produce the first ever extensive television coverage of offshore yacht racing for world wide distribution.

The Louis Vuitton Challenger Series of the Americas Cup was scheduled to last more than five months and daily edited satellite packages of the race action had to be produced for global distribution. This series was then followed by the Defender Series which culminated in an eventual winner of the event.

Marine cinematographer Laurie K. Gilbert was personally responsible for shooting 100 % of the on-water imagery of the Challenger Series every single day for a full five months. In order to do this, his camera boat associates and he had to virtually pioneer many new techniques and practices which allowed dynamic, stable television images to be shot offshore in 15ft seas and the 20 knot winds of the Fremantle Doctor.

In solving the various challenges involved in the event, the DOP acknowledges the considerable assistance he received from some of the worlds' best sailing photographers.

The secret to the success of the television coverage was the application of the revolutionary Schwem Gyrolens and this was the first time the device had been applied to a sailing event of this scale.

The camera boat team also pioneered the spectactular helicopter tape pickup proceedure which they were subsequently to use at the 1988 Olympic Regatta in Pusan, Korea.

The global success of the Americas CupTelevision Unit was reflected in the amount of positive feedback they received from world wide broadcasters who wrote to compliment the network on the amazing standard of pictures that were being aired daily.

American skipper, Dennis Connor subsequently was the eventual event winner and and restored Americas' pride by returning home victorious with the "Auld Mug".