Whirlwind: from research to painting Oil on panel 8.5x15inches
My latest studio painting brings us close to Whirlwind, with her crew at work beneath the sweep of the mainsail and a lively sea breaking along her hull.
The full painting establishes the yacht’s movement, but the closer photographs reveal another part of the picture: individual figures, the arrangement of the deck and the sail seams above them.
Whirlwind was designed by L. Francis Herreshoff for the American America’s Cup defence campaign of 1930. Built by George Lawley & Son, she was distinctive among the four new American candidates: a double-ended yacht with timber planking over steel frames, rather than the bronze plating used by her rivals.
The contemporary accounts in my research catalogue reveal a season of racing and adjustment. In July, Whirlwind went to City Island to have her mast moved forward—a reminder that these yachts were developing throughout the summer. Enterprise eventually won selection to defend the Cup, but the other candidates remain rich subjects for painting.
That is part of the purpose of my J Class Project: to explore the boats beyond the familiar winners, bringing together historical research, modelling and painting.
My reference model of Whirlwind under construction
Here, the close viewpoint gives Whirlwind and her crew the picture to themselves.
