ANDREA Francolini was supposed to be sailing with his cousin, but he fell in the water after slipping off the dock.

The Italian-born man, then a graphic designer, was promptly dumped by the crew, who took off to sea without him.

But Francolini was left minding a camera, and while he waited for the boats to return, he began reeling off a series of shots.

When the sailors docked, he was approached by a mother who wanted photos of her son.

"And I sold my first two pictures," he said.

"Now the rest is history."

Fast forward nearly two decades to 2015, and Andrea Francolini's name is synonymous with some of the best sailing photography in the world.

With more than 150 cover shots to his credit and a global distribution network at his fingertips, he's the man behind the lens at some of the world's most prestigious sailing events, and this week, he's bringing his talents to Airlie Beach.

Airlie Beach Race Week marketing director Adrian Bram said organisers of the 26th regatta were thrilled to have Francolini on board.

Likewise, regatta media director Di Pearson described him as a "smooth operator" who would deliver the goods whether the wind blew or not.

"There are some mornings there's no breeze, but he will always find something creative to do," she said.

Francolini last photographed Airlie Beach Race Week from 2001-6, when it was still a Hog's Breath event.

Having not returned since, the Sydneysider says he's looking forward to seeing how the area has changed.

And he has high expectations for the regatta itself.

"It was always a regatta that had great participation," he reminisced.

"Nobody took themselves too seriously (and) there was a really good vibe about it - it was fun."