John Steven Dews

STRUCTURE Original canvas PAINT SURFACE The paint surface is in excellent studio condition; clean and ready to hang. ULTRAVIOLET UV light reveals no sign of retouching. FRAME Held in a modern composite frame in good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
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."

Flying every possible inch of sail, Britannia(1) and Lulworth(2) vie for the lead.  The scudding clouds give a strong sense of the high winds powering these magnificent craft; tension is visible throughout each vessel as they skim along the surface of water and, with the churning wake, it is easy to comprehend why these yachts were known as 'The Greyhound of the Seas'.

Lulworth was built by White Brothers of Southampton for Richard H. Lee and launched in the spring of 1920.  Her construction provided stiff competition for Britannia, as is clearly evident in the present work.  Lee had competed against Britannia with his first yacht Wendur before the First World War.  152 feet in length Lulworth's construction cost £24,000, over five million pounds in contemporary terms.  She was initially named Terpsichore and her first few racing seasons in the early 1920s saw little success due to problems with her rigging as well as her lower mast which had been made of steel due a shortage in supply of spruce wood.  Lee died of a stroke while out shooting in 1923, tragically unaware of the enormous success his yacht would achieve.  In 1924 she was brought and re-named Lulworth by Herbert Weld, owner of Lulworth Castle and Grandson of Joseph Weld who was a co-founder of the Royal Yacht Squadron and owner of two previous yachts called Lulworth.  The years up to 1930 saw Lulworth achieve extraordinary success; out of 258 starts she was placed first on fifty-nine occasions, with fifty-two second places and twenty-six thirds. 

Westward (5), behind the leading pair, 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.

Trailing by some distance comes White Heather II which was initially owned by Miles Kennedy but by 1928 had been sold to Lord Waring.  She was converted to a J-Class in 1930.