Wind fills the sails of five historic yachts sailing into port as they finish the final leg of the 1911 New York Yacht Club Cruise in this bright and lively work by Shane Couch. According to newspapers of the day, the NYYC Cruise was an annual gathering of "the most important flotilla in the world of yachts, held by the most important yacht club in the world." The 1911 event featured some of the most important racing schooners in yachting history.
These, along with a large fleet of other sailing vessels: racers, sloops, steamers, large schooners and auxiliaries, would sail from one port to another with yachts participating in races along the way. Putting into port each night, the cruise's vessels set anchor near one another and held gatherings aboard ships where sailors, ship owners and their families could celebrate through the night.
In the foreground, are rival near-sister Herreshoff schooners, WESTWARD on the left and ELENA on the right. Though very closely matched, ELENA would emerge victorious to take home the 1911 Cruise's "Schooner Cup".
WESTWARD was commissioned by NYYC member A.S. Cochran who wanted a schooner that could make the Atlantic crossing and compete in Europe. He went to the most innovative sailboat designer of his day- Nathaniel "Nat" Herreshoff of Rhode Island. In addition to building yachts of various sizes for nearly every prominent American yachtsman of his time, Herreshoff's yard built every winning America's Cup Yacht from 1893 to 1934.
Steel hulled and 96 feet in length at the waterline, WESTWARD was the largest sailing vessel to be built by Herreshoff's yard at the time, and it didn't disappoint. Her first season in Europe was an unqualified success, winning every race in German waters and eight of nine in England.
Hearing of WESTWARD's success in Europe, NYYC club member Morton F. Plant sold his champion schooner "QUEEN" and commissioned Herreshoff to build him an improved WESTWARD in the hopes of the new yacht, ELENA, being the fastest on the water. This cruise was ELENA's first outing, and Couch shows her here with her crew gathering in her jib which she has dropped in favor of a large balloon jib.
Off WESTWARD's bow is the 53ft. sloop AVENGER, built in 1907 and to WESTWARD's stern is the 62ft. sloop ISTALENA, built in 1906. Both yachts were also built at the Herreshoff yards.
To ELENA's stern is one of the most famous and beloved racing schooners of all time- ATLANTIC. A massive 185ft. three-masted schooner, ATLANTIC was built in 1903 by William Gardner, one of America's foremost designers of large yachts at the time. She was incredibly fast for her size, setting a speed of 20 knots in her sea trials. During the 1905 Kaiser Cup, ATLANTIC set a speed record which would stand unmatched for almost a century, until 1998- the longest standing speed record in the history of yachting. Owned by a succession of famous yachtsmen, including Cornelius Vanderbilt, her guest book included the rich and famous of the world.
The yachts are depicted off Castle Point as they approach Newport, Rhode Island, the final harbor of the cruise. On the shore, just to the stern of the AVENGER, we see the Castle Hill Lighthouse. The 34' tall granite structure, first lighted in May 1890, was constructed to guide vessels, especially in foggy weather, into Newport Harbor and Narragansett Bay.
Couch's trademark attention to detail is on full display here. The sea sparkles, the sun shines full on the decks and through the sails, creating dramatic shadows. Showing the yachts at their brilliant best, in the prime of their sailing careers, Couch has brought the golden age of yachting to life.
