{"product_id":"america-steven-dews","title":"America - Steven Dews","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis is one of Steven’s earliest yachting paintings and depicts the schooner \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(43, 0, 255);\"\u003eAmerica\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e in the Solent during her visit to Britain in the summer of 1851. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(43, 0, 255);\"\u003eAmerica\u003c\/span\u003e 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.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhen \u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(43, 0, 255);\"\u003eAmerica\u003c\/span\u003e sailed down the Solent towards Cowes on 1 August 1851, escorted by the cutter \u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(43, 0, 255);\"\u003eLaverock\u003c\/span\u003e, 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.  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe 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. T\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(43, 0, 255);\"\u003eitania, Fernande\u003c\/span\u003e and \u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(43, 0, 255);\"\u003eStella\u003c\/span\u003e failed to start. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(43, 0, 255);\"\u003eAmerica\u003c\/span\u003e worked her way through the fleet and well into the lead, and although \u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(43, 0, 255);\"\u003eAurora\u003c\/span\u003e put up a brave fight she could not catch the American schooner. \u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(43, 0, 255);\"\u003eAmerica\u003c\/span\u003e 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.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e \u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLimited Edition Print on Canvas - edition of 50.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEach canvas is hand-numbered \u0026amp; accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity, which is signed by the artist. \u003cspan\u003e Printed with lightfast inks onto fine archival-quality cotton canvas, coated with acid-free priming for permanent artwork reproduction.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eImage size: 26 x 40 inches (66 x 102 cm)\u003cbr\u003eCanvas size: 39 x 44 inches (76 x 112 cm)\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Art Marine","offers":[{"title":"Limited Edition Canvas","offer_id":54743939875154,"sku":null,"price":950.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Limited Edition Framed Canvas","offer_id":54743939907922,"sku":null,"price":1240.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0794\/5424\/1106\/files\/GL755C.jpg?v=1789558151","url":"https:\/\/artmarine.co.uk\/products\/america-steven-dews","provider":"Art Marine","version":"1.0","type":"link"}