the 1946 Sydney Hobart Start by A.D.Blake
The 1946 Sydney Hobart Start-600 mm x 900mm, oil on linen canvas
by A.D. BLAKE
When you think of Maritime Art what first springs to mind? For me it has to be the works of J.M.W. Turner.
The detail in paintings like Fishermen at Sea from 1796 stick in my head. The figures huddled around the glow of the lantern in stern of the open boat…as a child I wondered how it could possibly stay alight… and the relentless tug of the anchor rope through the fairlead. The picture is filled with foreboding, disaster is near at hand, in the jagged rocks of the Needles in the background, and in the imminent breaking wave.
Fishermen at Sea
by Joseph Mallord William Turner
Perhaps his most famous painting, The Fighting Temeraire was painted almost 40 years later when he was at the height of his career. He was renowned for the way in which he explored the effects of light on the sea and the sky, perhaps because spent much of his life near the River Thames. Turner frequently made small sketches and then later worked them into finished paintings in the studio.
The Fighting Temeraire. 1839
by Joseph Mallord William Turner
Interestingly he also painted yachts, although these images never reached the popularity of his more patriotic works. Perhaps fighting and fishing were seen as more “worthy” pursuits than sailing!
East Cowes Castle, the Regatta Beating to Windward
by Joseph Mallord William Turner
This 1827 sketch East Cowes Castle, the Regatta Beating to Windward was possibly made on board a ship moored in the Solent. This was only the second Cowes Regatta. The yacht race is still an annual event today. It is one of several oil sketches of the same subject for a painting commissioned by architect John Nash. Turner stayed with Nash at his self-designed East Cowes Castle on the Isle of Wight. Since demolished, it gleams here on the distant hill.
Last week I received an email from the renowned Auckland Marine Artist A.D. Blake. I have known Tony for around 20 years, as we were both heavily involved in the respective Classic Yacht Associations on either side of the Tasman.
Tony sent me (purely for my own interest) a photograph of his latest painting.
But its too good not to share…so with his permission, here it is again (click to enlarge)
The 1946 Sydney Hobart Start-600 mm x 900mm and is oil on linen canvas
by A.D. BLAKE
Tony’s historical marine oil paintings range from gaff-rigged classic yachts, square-sailed sailing ships, to historical America's Cup races and contemporary sailing scenes. His historical maritime art is painted in a traditional style showing the intricate details of the yachts and their rigging. The paintings are often historic yachting harbour scenes, including Newport, Nantucket, New York, Martha's Vineyard, Marblehead, Boston, Cowes, Isle of Wight, Auckland and Venice. His painting style is traditional, using the time honoured approach of building the painting up in a series of layers from thin transparent layers through to thicker layers of impasto paint and finally the application of some brilliant glazes.
It is vital to him that his art is dynamic, creating an impression of life and movement. He concentrates on the interplay of light, especially on the water and on the boats and sails.
And what is almost as impressive as the aesthetic, is the historical accuracy of the paintings. He thoroughly researches every aspect of his paintings, and the details visible in the boats and landscapes are as close to the truth as possible, given the time that has elapsed between the event and putting brush to canvass… in this case 76 years.
These are Tony’s own notes on the painting…
The start was off Rose Bay between Clark and Shark Islands. Rose Bay beach is in the background. SOUTHERN MAID was also in this starting group, but totally behind SIRIUS and astern of ACTIVE. Only eleven yachts out of the nineteen starters finished. MERLIN, CONNELLA and OSIRIUS of the yachts in the painting did not finish. It was typically rough weather heading south.
From left to right…
The start boat- I assume a Royal Australian Airforce boat judging by the roundel on the bows.The Halvorsen's yacht SAGA. They were leading easily on handicap until they were becalmed for eleven hours in the Derwent river!
MORNA. All the yachts had canvas sails and some darkened with age and needing repairs- see MORNA’s jib.
MORNA and SAGA have just got the first gusts and are moving faster than the other yachts.
MERLIN
CONNELLA, a small gaff rigged ketch to leeward of MERLIN
ACTIVE to windward of MERLIN (It is interesting to note that the first woman to race in the Sydney Hobart, Jenny Tait, raced aboard with her husband on their cutter ACTIVE (top section of mainsail and jib in the painting).
OSIRIUS a staysail schooner. She had recently completed a round the world trip. She was named SIRIUS when she was launched. She is presently chartering up in Singapore. Both CONNELLA and OSIRIUS are being blanketed by MORNA and other yachts to windward.
DEFIANCE
A New Zealand yacht ILEX a Logan designed cutter/ketch of 1905 sailed over and took part in the race, but pulled out.
And on a different note… Another 1946 entrant, who didn’t make this picture was the remarkable MISTRAL II, currently undergoing a full restoration in Hobart’s Constitution dock thanks to Sarah Parry and the Windward Bound Foundation.
She writes…
As you no doubt know, MISTRAL II, was in the original 1945 race, this one was MORNA’s first of many races, and the start of a fairly bitter feud between the owners of MORNA and MISTRAL II.
A little side note was that the owners of MISTRAL II in about 1967/68 actually bought the Mainsail of KURREWA IV (ex MORNA) and put it on MISTRAL II and apparently wondered, as did her last owner, why she was difficult to sail and why they needed the engine to stop her rounding up. Apparently it never occurred to them that putting the main of a cutter onto a schooner to use as her main might just throw the balance out somewhat!
I haven’t spoken to Tony about this, but I can’t help thinking that he spent a considerable amount of time looking at the works of J.M.W Turner, before he forged his reputation as one of the pre-eminent Marine artists of our time.
For more information of A.D. Blake and his work visit his website
If you are interested in learning a little bit about maritime painting yourself, you could do worse than sign up for this AWBF Maritime Trail weekend.
And if you would like to read more about the 1946 Sydney Hobart Race have a look at this report published in the 1952/53 Sydney Hobart program, which (they call it the 1947 race.)