242

WILLIAM GAY AND MARY E. YORKE

New York/Canada/England, 1817-c. 1888 and c. 1854-1893

America's Cup 1887, Volunteer vs. Thistle, Race 2.

Signed and dated lower left "W.G. Yorke 1887".
Oil on canvas, 18" x 24". Framed 25.25" x 31.25".
Condition: Relined with scattered restorative in-painting.

  • Provenance:
    John F. Rinaldi Nautical Antiques, Kennebunkport, Maine, March 1998, purchased by Richard Kelton.
    The Kelton Collection of Marine Art & Artifacts.

    The 1887 America's Cup challenge came from a Scottish syndicate headed by James Bell, representing the Royal Clyde Yacht Club. They employed George Watson, then considered the most able English yacht designer, to produce the challenger,
    Thistle . Built in steel by D. and W. Henderson at Partick on the Clyde, she was launched April 26, 1887. In her trials Thistle defeated the best English racers, including the prior challenger, Genesta .

    The defender,
    Volunteer , was designed by Edward Burgess, the designer of the two previous defenders, for General Charles J. Paine. Volunteer was built at Pussy & Jones in Wilmington, Delaware, and rigged by Geo. Lawley & Sons in Boston. She was Burgess's fastest boat, considered a wonder in her time, and demonstrated her superiority from her first race. She easily defeated the previous defenders, Mayflower and Puritan , and was unbeaten in her first season.

    The racing began September 27, 1887 on the inside course, with the wind averaging only 8 knots.
    Volunteer trounced Thistle by more than 19 minutes. The second race, shown in this painting, was on an outside windward/leeward course in 12 knots of wind, with a considerable sea and some rain. On the 20 mile beat the boats sailed with equal speed, but Volunteer demonstrated superiority in pointing and eventually won by 11 minutes, 48¾ seconds corrected time even though Thistle was faster downwind.

    Soon after the Cup races,
    Volunteer was bought by John Malcolm Forbes (who also owned Puritan ) and was rerigged as a schooner in 1891. On August 21,1893 she went onto the rocks at Hadley's Harbor, Naushon Island, off the coast of Massachusetts. Damage was extensive, but she was repaired, and, in 1894, she was returned to her original sloop rig in anticipation of racing against the British Valkyrie .

    She was broken up at a New York junkyard in 1910.

    This painting demonstrates Mary Yorke's increasing mastery of the art of ship portraiture.

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April 29, 2021 9:30 AM EDT
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