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Lot Essay
This magnificent canvas portrays the brand-new Britannia 'cutting her teeth' in Torbay in August 1893 as she battles it out with Calluna, Navahoe and Satanita, three of the other new thoroughbreds launched that same year. Navahoe, fresh out of Nat Herreshoff's yard on Rhode Island, had already tackled the North Atlantic to be sure of some British sport in her maiden season and, after competing at Cowes and then Weymouth, only four of the so-called 'Big Class' fleet elected to continue on into Torbay at the end of August. On the morning of the main event, the wind was so fresh that the skippers of Britannia, Calluna and Navahoe all decided to start the race with their topmasts safely down whereas Satanita defiantly kept hers aloft and crowded on extra sail. However, as "the wind piped loudly from the west", Satanita soon found her extra canvas was producing too much leeway and lost a man overboard as she struggled to reduce sail. Although the crewman was quickly recovered and the topmast lowered out of harm's way, the momentary confusion allowed Britannia to take the lead and she romped home ahead of both Satanita and Calluna, Navahoe having retired early with a damaged mainsail. In this glorious snapshot, the artist shows Britannia overhauling Satanita just as the latter's crew is making ready to shorten sail ahead of lowering the superfluous topmast.
Britannia, built for King Edward VII when Prince of Wales in 1893, was undoubtedly the most famous racing cutter of them all. Hugely successful during her long life, she won 33 firsts out of 39 starts in her maiden season and competed against all the fastest yachts of the day. Sold in 1897 - although bought back for cruising in 1901 by which time the Prince of Wales had succeeded to the throne - her second racing career really came into its own when King George V had her refitted for big class competitions in 1921. Under the King's enthusiastic ownership, Britannia went from strength to strength. Despite being re-rigged seven times in all, her hull shape was so efficient that she remained competitive almost to the end and was only finally outclassed by the big J-class boats introduced in the mid-1930s. King George V died in 1936 and under the terms of his will, Britannia was stripped of her salvageable gear and scuttled off the southern tip of the Isle of Wight.
Satanita, 300 tons (Thames Measurement), was designed by J.M. Soper and built by J.G. Fay & Co. at Southampton for Mr. A.D. Clarke also in 1893. Rigged as a cutter with a planked steel frame and, in fact, the largest cutter ever constructed, she too was a highly successful boat and a worthy match for Britannia in particular. Despite badly damaging her bow in a celebrated collision when she sank Lord Dunraven's America's Cup challenger Valkyrie (II) in 1894, she was perfectly repaired and went on to enjoy a long racing career prior to her transfer to Italian ownership in 1909 after which she disappeared from the international circuit.
Calluna, 258 tons (Thames measurement), was a composite cutter designed by William Fife Jnr. and built by A. & J. Inglis at Glasgow, again in 1893. Originally owned by a syndicate headed by Peter Donaldson, one of the Clyde's most enthusiastic yachtsmen, Calluna won ten prizes in her first season although her career was cut short when she was purchased by a Turkish prince in the mid-1890s who took her to and thereafter kept her in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Navahoe, a composite steel sloop of 113 tons (gross), was designed and built by Nat Herreshoff at Bristol, Rhode Island for Mr. Royal Phelps Carroll of New York in 1893. Specifically intended as a challenger for several prestigious British trophies, Navahoe had a disappointing maiden season but soon went on to enjoy great success, not only under Carroll but also with her second owner (from 1901), the immensely wealthy German banker and ship-owner George W. Watjen of Bremen.
Britannia, built for King Edward VII when Prince of Wales in 1893, was undoubtedly the most famous racing cutter of them all. Hugely successful during her long life, she won 33 firsts out of 39 starts in her maiden season and competed against all the fastest yachts of the day. Sold in 1897 - although bought back for cruising in 1901 by which time the Prince of Wales had succeeded to the throne - her second racing career really came into its own when King George V had her refitted for big class competitions in 1921. Under the King's enthusiastic ownership, Britannia went from strength to strength. Despite being re-rigged seven times in all, her hull shape was so efficient that she remained competitive almost to the end and was only finally outclassed by the big J-class boats introduced in the mid-1930s. King George V died in 1936 and under the terms of his will, Britannia was stripped of her salvageable gear and scuttled off the southern tip of the Isle of Wight.
Satanita, 300 tons (Thames Measurement), was designed by J.M. Soper and built by J.G. Fay & Co. at Southampton for Mr. A.D. Clarke also in 1893. Rigged as a cutter with a planked steel frame and, in fact, the largest cutter ever constructed, she too was a highly successful boat and a worthy match for Britannia in particular. Despite badly damaging her bow in a celebrated collision when she sank Lord Dunraven's America's Cup challenger Valkyrie (II) in 1894, she was perfectly repaired and went on to enjoy a long racing career prior to her transfer to Italian ownership in 1909 after which she disappeared from the international circuit.
Calluna, 258 tons (Thames measurement), was a composite cutter designed by William Fife Jnr. and built by A. & J. Inglis at Glasgow, again in 1893. Originally owned by a syndicate headed by Peter Donaldson, one of the Clyde's most enthusiastic yachtsmen, Calluna won ten prizes in her first season although her career was cut short when she was purchased by a Turkish prince in the mid-1890s who took her to and thereafter kept her in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Navahoe, a composite steel sloop of 113 tons (gross), was designed and built by Nat Herreshoff at Bristol, Rhode Island for Mr. Royal Phelps Carroll of New York in 1893. Specifically intended as a challenger for several prestigious British trophies, Navahoe had a disappointing maiden season but soon went on to enjoy great success, not only under Carroll but also with her second owner (from 1901), the immensely wealthy German banker and ship-owner George W. Watjen of Bremen.