On parallel cruises, a British Naval Fleet and a group of graceful racing "swans" run an ocean lane in profile by Marine master Montague Dawson. While the lead English cutter doesn't have a sail designation, she is flying the burgee of the Royal Albert Yacht Club of Portsmouth. Leading the convoy is D44, HMS IMOGEN, a British Royal Navy I-Class Destroyer.
The Royal Albert Yacht Club in Portsmouth was established in 1864 under the patronage of namesake Prince Albert, an avid yachtsman, and gained favor with his mother, Queen Victoria. Combined with the Royal Naval Club, started by four officers off HMS BELLEROPHON as the place for Royal Navy officers active and retired to gather, often far from home waters, both clubs have traditionally supported the active naval affairs of the United Kingdom.
Dawson took pride in his accurate depictions, often working from models and sketches to small oils to build his final paintings, and often the supporting materials were never released, seemingly with him popping out masterpiece after masterpiece with the Frost & Reed Studio. His story is actually one of constant work and the struggle to produce, and for the results which his audience still pursues.
Dawson illustrates the ships beautifully, the lead cutter and IMOGEN, who would soon earn her greatest claim to fame by sinking two German submarines, U-42 in Oct. 1939 and U-63 in the North Sea in Feb. 1940. No sense of the hostilities are present in this seen of vessels cruising in leisure and duty.
