Columbia and Shamrock off Rhode Island, 1899 - Steven Dews

NEW: The inspiration for this painting came from an old photograph taken from the deck of Columbia looking aft at Shamrock with her vast mainsail boomed out and spinnaker pole set. Sir Thomas Lipton, aboard Shamrock, tried in vain to lessen the gap between the two yachts by blanketing Columbia’s sails with Shamrock’s own huge spread. Although Lipton sailed home across the Atlantic having lost the race, he had won the hearts of the Americans with his kindly, sportsmanlike behaviour. He had done much to smooth the strained relations that had developed between Britain and America after the trouble caused by the outspoken Earl of Dunraven during the previous challenge in 1895. Lipton came from a poor background. Born in Scotland to Irish parents he emigrated to America as a youth, working for some time in a New York grocery store, where he learnt his trade. At the age of nineteen Lipton returned to Scotland and opened his first store. From these humble beginnings grew a commercial empire that stretched around the globe. The Shamrock of the 1899 challenge was the first of five that Lipton owned during his yachting career. The last of his Shamrocks is still racing, with some success, in regattas around the world. Limited Edition Print on Canvas - edition of 75. Each canvas is hand-numbered & accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity, which is signed by the artist. Image size: 24 x 36 inches (61 x 89 cm) Canvas size: 28 x 40 inches (71 x 101.5cm)