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America - Steven Dews
America - Steven Dews
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This is one of Steven’s earliest yachting paintings and depicts the schooner America in the Solent during her visit to Britain in the summer of 1851.
America was the response to a challenge set by the Royal Yacht Squadron as part of the celebrations in the year of the Great Exhibition – ‘A contest of speed, between pleasure vessels, open to all comers’. Three members of the newly formed New York Yacht Club, the then Commodore John Stevens, his brother Edwin and George Schuyler, answered the challenge and ordered the building of a 140-ton New York pilot boat. The vessel was to be designed by the young but very talented George Steers and built in W.H. Brown’s yard under the total supervision of Steers. Such was the confidence of Steers and Brown that they would produce the fastest yacht afloat, it was proposed to the owners that if America was beaten by a British yacht of the same size they could reject her.
When America sailed down the Solent towards Cowes on 1 August 1851, escorted by the cutter Laverock, everyone was there to see. The London Times likened the British yachtsmen’s reaction to that which ‘the appearance of a sparrow hawk on the horizon creates among a flock of wood pigeons’. The obvious fact that America’s speed was far superior to that of any British yacht meant that it was some time before an English yacht owner would come forward to defend the Cup. Eventually, Mr R. Stephenson bravely put his yacht Titania forward to race against America. The Royal Yacht Squadron race for the One Hundred Guineas Cup took place on Friday 22 August. The race was around the Isle of Wight, outside the Nab Tower. There was no handicap, so the first yacht over the finish line was the winner. Although eighteen yachts came to the start, when the gun went off at 10.00 a.m. only fifteen yachts were away. Titania, Fernande and Stella failed to start.
America worked her way through the fleet and well into the lead, and although Aurora put up a brave fight she could not catch the American schooner. America came home to great applause and cheers from the waiting crowds, completing the race in eight hours and thirty-four minutes, and the Royal Yacht Squadron Cup became the America’s Cup.
Limited Edition Print on Canvas - edition of 50.
Each canvas is hand-numbered & accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity, which is signed by the artist. Printed with lightfast inks onto fine archival-quality cotton canvas, coated with acid-free priming for permanent artwork reproduction.
Image size: 26 x 40 inches (66 x 102 cm)
Canvas size: 39 x 44 inches (76 x 112 cm)
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