John Steven Dews

Purchased directly from the artist

STRUCTURE Original canvas in sound condition. PAINT SURFACE The paint surface is in good, clean condition; ready to hang. ULTRAVIOLET UV light reveals no sign of retouching. FRAME Held in a modern, composite frame in good condition.
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NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Set in the golden era of yacht racing the present work showcases seven of the finest vessels ever built for speed.  The setting is something of a departure for Dews in that the competitors for the prized King's Cup are shown before the gun.  The composition displays masterful perspective, particularly the forest of mast and sail to the left of the work.  The brooding atmosphere of Hunter's Quay, on the Southern entrance of Holy Loch is also superbly evoked with the dramatic landscape providing a fitting backdrop to the scene as pre-race tension mounts.  The pedigree of the yachts, as well as their owners, is unquestionable.

Sir Thomas Lipton's Shamrock can be seen to the far left of the work, nearest the shore of Dunoon.  This was one of six yachts belonging to Sir Thomas, all of whom, apart from the yacht in the present work, challenged for the America's Cup; Sir Thomas' Shamrock V challenged for a final time in 1930 but again in vain.  This string of failures combined with the dignified and sporting manner in which he accepted defeat earned him a specially made cup for 'The Best of all Losers".  The notoriety did, however, lead to financial gain as Lipton teas became a household name in the United States.

The sleek lines of Lulworth can be seen, second from left.  She was initially named Terpsichore, and built by the White Brothers of Southampton for Richard H. Lee and launched in the spring of 1920.  152 feet in length, Lulworth's construction cost £24,000, over five million pounds in today's money.  She enjoyed little success in the 1920s due to problems with her rigging and mast.  Her fortunes changed following her purchase by Herbert Weld, owner of Lulworth castle, who renamed her.  In the years up to 1930, out of 258 starts, she was placed first on fifty-nine occasions, with fifty-two second places and twenty-six thirds.

Cambria and White Heather II are placed behind Lulworth, sailing almost parallel in a South Westerly direction.  Both were designed and built by William Fife at Fairlie; Cambria, a Bermudian-rigged cutter, was owned by Sir William Berry, later Lord Camrose who owned The Daily Telegraph.  White Heather II  was initially owned by Miles Kennedy but by 1928 had been sold to Lord Waring. 

Westward was built in 1910 at Rhode Island by the legendary Nathaniel Herreshoff  who designed no less than five consecutive America's Cup winning yachts.  She changed hands twice before being purchased by T.B.F. Davis in 1924 and provided stiff competition for Britannia.

With her distinguished navy blue hull, Britannia's bow glides across the water towards the viewer.  By 1928 she was owned by King George V who famously declared that she be scuttled upon his death.  The exceptional design of her hull meant that she remained competitive against modern yachts even at this relatively late stage in her career.