Benoit Stichelbaut / Miguel Danet and Damien Cloarec standing on boom, leaning on mainsail of Figaro yacht "Concarneau-St. Barthelemy". Transat AG2R, Port la Foret, Brittany, March 2010.

Gerrit Vyn / Flock of oiled Brown Pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) on a beach behind an oil covered containment boom. This nesting colony is the largest in Louisiana and was heavily contaminated by the BP Deepwat...

Pete Oxford / Jacare caiman bellowing {Caiman crocodilus yacare} subsonic boom causes water to vibrate. Pantanal, Brazil

Benoit Stichelbaut / Skipper Armel le Cleac'h standing on boom of Monohull Imoca 60ft "Brit Air", Concarneau, Brittany, France. April 2008

Merryn Thomas / View of boom and Underfall Yard sign from the cabin of Bristol Pilot Cutter "Morwenna", Bristol Floating Harbour, UK. April 2009.

Billy Black / Sheet runner from boom aboard a Hunter 216. Mystic, Connecticut, August 2004.

Onne van der Wal / Woman leaning against boom of yacht "Clarity" during the 6 Metre Class World Championships, Newport, Rhode Island, USA. September 2009.

Onne van der Wal / Men working with the long boom of a Bahamian Sloop at the Bahamian Sloop regatta, Georgetown, Exumas, Bahamas. April 2009.

Rick Tomlinson / "Leonie" under sail during Round the Island Race, The British Classic Yacht Club Regatta, Cowes Classic Week, July 2008

Rick Tomlinson / "Mariquita" under sail during Round the Island Race, The British Classic Yacht Club Regatta, Cowes Classic Week, July 2008

Rick Tomlinson / The sun reflected on SY "Adele"'s boom as she leaves South Georgia bound for Rio de Janeiro, February 2007 Non editorial uses must be cleared individually.

Rick Tomlinson / Close up of SY "Adele"'s boom, Half Moon Bay, Antarctica, January 2007 Non editorial uses must be cleared individually.

Rick Tomlinson / Boom damage on "Sojana" after the collision with "Lolita" during Antigua Race Week 2008. Day 2, halfway round the Island Race, Dickenson Bay to Falmouth anti clockwise.

Merryn Thomas / View of boom and Underfall Yard sign from the cabin of Bristol Pilot Cutter "Morwenna", Bristol Floating Harbour, UK. April 2009.

Onne van der Wal / Crewman pulling in the boom, Miami Acura Grand Prix, Key West, Florida. 2009.

Ernie Janes / Irrigation boom watering seedling carrots (Daucus carota), Norfolk, UK, August

Ernie Janes / Irrigation boom watering seedling Cabbages, Norfolk, UK, August

Ernie Janes / Irrigation boom watering seedling Cabbages, Norfolk, UK, August

Gerrit Vyn / Beach cleaners, and a woman taking a cell phone photo of the oil contamination, resulting from the BP Deepwater Horizon oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico, Orange Beach, Baldwin County, Alabama, USA, June...

Gerrit Vyn / Clean-up workers on the beach in response to oil coming ashore from the BP Deepwater Horizon oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico. Baldwin County, Alabama. June 2010.

Gerrit Vyn / Aerial view of an oil covered island and displaced oil containment boom in Barataria Bay area of the Mississippi River delta, contaminated as a result of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf...

Gerrit Vyn / Aerial view of an oil covered island and displaced oil containment boom in the Barataria Bay area of the Mississippi River delta, contaminated as a result of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil leak in the G...

Tim Laman / Photographer Tim Laman kayaking with photo equipment down Boom Creek, Belize. Bloodwood trees growing beside stream in mangrove swamp. Model released

Frederique Olivier / Photographer with camera on boom in Antarctica 2005

Pete Oxford / Jacare caiman bellowing (subsonic boom communication) (Caiman crocodilus yacare) Pantanal, Brazil

Karl Ammann / Logging town, Central Africa tropical rainforest. Traditional people are attracted to the temporary boom economy, thus destroying sustainable ways of life.

Luiz Claudio Marigo / Amazonas theatre, built 1896 during latex rubber boom, Manaus city, Amazonas, Brazil

Tui De Roy / Ramshackle growth marks the boom town of Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Onne van der Wal / Read, Billy and Adrian van der Wal posing on the boom of their Moorings Charter in Isla Espiritu Santo, Mexico.

Onne van der Wal / Read, Billy and Adrian van der Wal posing on the boom of their Moorings Charter in Isla Espiritu Santo, Mexico.

Onne van der Wal / Read, Billy and Adrian van der Wal posing on the boom of their Moorings Charter in Isla Espiritu Santo, Mexico.

Onne van der Wal / Read, Billy and Adrian van der Wal posing on the boom of their Moorings Charter in Isla Espiritu Santo, Mexico.

Onne van der Wal / Boom and mast detail on a wooden sailing boat at the Newport Wooden Boat Show, Rhode Island.

Onne van der Wal / Boom detail on board 12m yacht "Gleam" sailing off Newport, Rhode Island, USA. September 2006.

Onne van der Wal / Crew aboard the 1981-82 Whitbread winner "Flyer" repairing broken boom in Southern Ocean while running goose-winged with dacron and nylon reachers.

Angelo Giampiccolo / Men leaning on the boom of a yacht in Calagalera Marina, Grosseto, Italy.

Rick Tomlinson / Main and mizzen sails on 180ft Superyacht "Adele" are furled via traditional slab reefing systems with “Park Avenue” booms, lazy jacks from boom to mast and full length battens in both sails. The main...

Rick Tomlinson / Crew climbing onto the boom of 180ft Hoek Design Superyacht "Adele".

Rick Tomlinson / Crew on the boom aboard "The Card" during the Whitbread Round the World Race, 1989-90.

Rick Tomlinson / Crew member climbs to the end of the boom to untangle the reefing lines aboard "The Card" in the Whitbread Round the World Race, 1989-90.

Rick Tomlinson / Crew of "Maxima" sit at the end of the boom to try and lever her off the mud at Brambles Bank during Cowes Week, 1998.

Rick Tomlinson / Crewman stands on the boom of "The Card" as the boat races through the Southern Ocean during the Whitbread Round the World Race, 1989-90.

Onne van der Wal / Crew lowering the spinnaker between the boom and mainsail foot.

Onne van der Wal / Boom detail of the classic schooner "Mariette".

Onne van der Wal / The boom of NY 30 "Amorita" with "Wild Horses" in the background during the Museum of Yachting's Classic Yacht Regatta, Newport, Rhode Island, USA. Amorita is Property Released.

Onne van der Wal / Crew member on the boom aboard a 50 foot Springbok while racing off Newport, Rhode Island, USA.

Onne van der Wal / Crew of a grounded yacht swinging out on the boom to heel it over so it might float off the bottom.

Roberto Rinaldi / Man sailing a pirogue boat in Baie d'Upi, Ile de Pins, New Caledonia, Melanesia

Roberto Rinaldi / Man sailing a pirogue boat in Baie d'Upi, Ile de Pins, New Caledonia, Melanesia

Onne van der Wal / Boom of a wooden boat at the Newport Wooden Boat Show, Rhode Island, USA.

Onne van der Wal / Crew balancing on the end of the boom in an attempt to refloat the yacht which has run aground.