10" x 18" (25.40cm x 45.72cm)
Oil/Canvas
Signed Lower Right
The painting
illustrated in this lot depicts the contest between Mohawk, owned by rear
Commodore Garner of the New York Yacht Club, and the yacht Dauntless owned by
James Gordon Bennett. This race, was a challenge match, and in an effort to
settle a dispute over the seaworthiness of newer designed shoal draft center
boarders and more traditional deep keel yachts. At the open challenge of
Commodore Garner, James Gordon Bennett took up the challenge and a date was set
for October 26th 1875. Well publicized, and the subject of a series of articles
in the New York Times, this match was to put to rest the debate over the design
of these shoal draft yachts.
In the days leading up to the race, the
promise of a dramatic contest was nil, the winds were light and Indian summer
was in full force. However, the day of the race brought strong winds and a heavy
seaway blowing out of the South-east described as "...wind enough to wreck an
Armada." At the start of the race both yachts raised their foretopsails and set
out on port tack, Dauntless with a slight lead to windward. Dauntless continued
to extend her lead during the beat out on port tack but after tacking onto
starboard Mohawk gained steadily until she was on Dauntless' quarter. After
another series of tacks, Mohawk gained the lead and rounded the weather mark
ahead by three and a half minutes. In an ever darkening sky, Dauntless now
closed the gap despite losing her fore gaff and fore-topsail. The duel carried
on downwind, the wind which was shifting and coming around to the head the
yachts into an upwind finish where Dauntless overtook Mohawk and went on to win
the challenge.
The Mohawk and her owner Commodore Garner met a tragic end
less than a year later when, on July 20th 1876, when a sudden squall capsized
her at her mooring, killing the Commodore and his wife, along with some guests
and crew.
NOTES AMERICA-SCOOP :