| Box A: RYS TABLE PLACEMATS (11¾ x 8¾) |
1. King William IV's Yacht ROYAL GEORGE by W J Huggins
2. HARRIET off the Needles by W J Higgins
3. A Royal Yacht Squadron Cutter by N M Condy
4. Lord Belfast's five Yachts by W J Huggins Box
A Set of Tablemats to commemorate the America’s Cup Jubilee held at Cowes in August 2001 – these paintings depict Yachts owned by Members of the Royal Yacht Squadron circa 1851
King William IV’S yacht ‘Royal George’
and Club Yachts off Cowes
by William John Huggins (1781 – 1845)
51 x 74 in. Oil on Canvas. Signed and dated 1831
The artist presented this painting to the Earl of Belfast MP, Vice Commodore of the then Royal Yacht Club. It depicts a visit to Cowes by King William IV, who had joined the club in 1817 as Duke of Clarence. In 1833 he wants to honour the club with its present name “The Royal Yacht Squadron” of which he was ‘graciously pleased to consider himself the head’.
In the picture the Royal Yacht ROYAL GEORGE, with King William on board, is sailing into Cowes with several of the club’s yachts around her. From the left are the brig COQUETTE (Henry Thorold), the club’s flagship FALCON with the first Commodore Lord Yarborough on board, the schooner GALATEA (CRM Talbot who was Vice Commodore in 1851), the cutter LOUISA (Lord Belfast) and the yawl FRISK (Colonel Shedden).
Visible in the background in the centre is the Royal Yacht Club’s then clubhouse (this was the building to which the AMERICA syndicate’s members came in 1851) with its present home, Cowes Castle which was then an armed fort, to the right. The building to the right of that may be intended to represent Lord Belfast’s house.
Harriet off the Needles
by William John Huggins (1781 – 1845)
31 x 49 in. Oil on Panel. Signed
The picture was commissioned in 1827 when HARRIET was owned by Lord Belfast. However, the flags have been overpainted subsequently since the burgee and ensign shown were not adopted by the club until 1829 – by which time the yacht had changed ownership. The other vessel in the picture, DALREIDA is flying the signal ‘shew your number’ and so this picture reflects the importance of signals and signalling in the early history of the club.
HARRIET, a Cowes built cutter of 96 tons, was one of the yachts which competed in the club’s historic first race for a cup in 1826, coming second to the great ARROW which was to compete against AMERICA in 1851 race. However, HARRIET gained her revenge in the match with ARROW that rounded off that year’s regatta . She was on the Squadron List from 1825 until 1837 and was latterly owned by Sir Bellingham Graham who was a Member of the club’s Committee in 1851. The Committee accompanied AMERICA and the other competitors in the race Round the Isle of Wight aboard the local paddle steamer QUEEN but stopped to help ARROW when she went aground.
A Royal Yacht Squadron Cutter
by Nicholas Matthew Condy (1818 –51)
12½ by 17¾ in. Oil on panel. Signed
The picture depicts a gaff-rigged cutter and a brig near the Eddystone Lighthouse. In the strong breeze the cutter has one reef in the mainsail and staysail. It is not known which cutter is shown, but according to James Steers, writing abroad AMERICA at Cowes in 1851, ‘these cutters are all alike in shape or very little different’. Although not shown in this picture, he also said ‘ these cutters have a tremendous sail, square headed gaff-topsail and balloon jib. They have six jibs of various sizes’.
The Vice-Commodore, Lord Belfast’s five yachts, 1825 – 34, Harriet, Emily, Waterwitch, Louisa and Therese
by William John Huggins (1781 – 1845)
34½ x 59 in. Oil on canvas. Signed and dated 1831
Lord Belfast, whose Cowes home was just beyond the present Squadron lawn at Harriet Lodge (now Hamlet), was prominent in the development of yacht racing in the early days of the club, enjoying a particular rivalry with Thomas Assheton Smith. It was his exploits that produced the rule that a member could not enter two of his yachts in the same race. Lord Belfast was one of those early members who built experimental vessels in the hope of contributing to the improvement of naval ship design. The 330 ton, 10 gun brig WATERWITCH is the most prominent vessel in this picture.
WATERWATCH was built by Joseph White at East Cowes and launched on 16 June 1832 according to the diary of John Nash, the architect who lived at East Cowes Castle and attended the event. After the season of 1833, when she loitered off Portsmouth in order to run rings round any naval vessels that appeared, Lord Belfast despaired of the Navy deciding to acquire her and rigged her as a yacht. In 1834 she won the first ocean race, from the Nab to Eddystone Lighthouse and back, against Mr Talbot’s GALATEA for a purse of 1,000 guineas – although there are reports that 100,000 guineas were wagered on the race. Two days later, she was taken into the Navy. She completely outsailed the Navy ships in the Experimental Brig Squadron and she was sent to Africa where her speed was used to chase slavers. She reappeared in Cowes in 1844 when the Navy brought her back to scrap her. Instead, Joseph White offered to refit her for half price, and many Squadron members attended her relaunch that year.
Lord Belfast was the club’s first Vice Commodore and , as the Marquess of Donegall, became Commodore for a year prior to the election of Lord Wilton in 1848. He remained a Member until 1881 and, with his interests in yacht design and wagers, was one of those who were keenly interested in the performance of the yacht AMERICA in 1851. Lord Belfast was an important patron of the Cowes shipbuilder Joseph White whose yachts CONSTANCE, GIPSY QUEEN and IONE were entered against AMERICA in the 1851 race.
These table mats are £45.00 per box plus postage and packing. To order please email: mail@royalyachtsquadron.org
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