John Steven Dews b. 1949

STRUCTURE The canvas is unlined. PAINT SURFACE The painting appears to be in very good and presentable condition. ULTRAVIOLET Ultraviolet light reveals the painting to be in very good original condition, with no re-touching. FRAME Held in an ornate carved gilt wood frame.
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NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

THE J-CLASS - GREYHOUNDS OF THE SEA
Lots 81-82

These two exceptional works by John Steven Dews are a glimpse of the glorious August of 1935; a season of racing that witnessed arguably the most impressive competitive yachts - The J-Class - race together in British waters for the last time.  This golden age of yacht racing is brought to life by Dews' consummate ability to create dramatic compositions with an almost obsessive eye for detail.  

The J-Class was introduced thanks to a development in the rules governing yacht racing.  Prior to 1930 British yachts had raced under the 'International Rule' whose specifications were based on a yacht's length and sail area.  Nathaniel Herreshoff,  a yacht designer and nautical engineer from Rhode Island put forward a system where the length of a yacht was measured at the waterline with an unrestricted area of sail.  The new formula stipulated a waterline length of between seventy-nine and eighty-seven feet, an overall length of 120 feet with a displacement of no more than 160 tonnes; this became known as 'The American Universal Rule'.

In 1930 no less than four J-Class yachts were built in the United States, Enterprise, Whirlwind, Yankee and Wetamoe while the British produced Sir Thomas Lipton's Shamrock V.  These were followed by the British Velsheda built by Charles Nicholson for W.L. Stevenson in 1933 and Endeavour, built a year later also by Nicholson, for Sir Thomas Sopwith.  Not to be outdone, four of the British Big-Class yachts, Astra, Candida, White Heather II and King George V's Britannia were converted to J-Class specifications.

Lot 81 shows the grace, power and speed of one of the finest of the J-Class, Yankee.  She measured eighty-four feet at the waterline and 125 feet overall.  Her hull was made of tobin bronze and with her superb balance she enjoyed a hugely sucessful career.  In 1934 she was a contender for the defence of the America's Cup, narrowly missing out to Rainbow who went onto beat Endeavour.

Lot 82 evokes a powerful sense of the competiveness and skill of the crews as they manouevre and fight for position.  Cowes week originated in the 1800s with the first offical event held in 1812 marking it as the longest running regular regatta in history.  The initial event was followed with three days racing officiated by The Royal Yacht Squadron on 10th August, 1826.  King George IV provided further endorsement of the event by presenting a Gold Cup.