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The America's Cup beginning. The yacht "America" just after the start of the One Hundred Guinea Cup, which became the America's Cup. | The painting depicts the 170 ton schooner "America" sailing between the 205 ton schooner "Wyvern"( under a cloud shadow) and the large 3 masted 392 ton schooner "Brilliant", on the right hand side of the painting. The 218 ton schooner "Constance"can be seen behind the paddle steamer on the left hand side of the painting. Astern of the "Brilliant" is the unofficial starter, the cutter "Wildfire". With 2 to 3 tons of ballast able to be shifted from side to side, the "Wildfire" was unable to be include in the fleet, but actually finished ahead of "America". A large variety of spectator boats surrounded the racing fleet at the start. Large crowds of spectators also lined the shoreline.
The schooners and cutters in the race started from anchor at 10am, off "The Castle", with the cutters in a line approximately 300 metres ahead of the schooners. "The Castle" can be seen in the background. A few years after the race it became the home of The Royal Yacht Squadron.
The wind was light at the start, but against the west going tide and thus created rougher patches of water as seen in the foreground of the painting. The mist is clearing from the hills and it is turning into a beautiful day. Sunlight reflects from the water onto the underside of both "America's" and "Brilliant's" sails. "America" can be seen carrying her brand new jib boom and flying jib. The jib boom broke whilst racing past Dunnose and "America" finished without her flying jib.
"America" finished first in the 100 Guineas Cup, round the island race at 8.37pm.
| | Dimensions | 16" x 24" | | Media | Oil on linen canvas |
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