Racing Yacht, "America"

By: Sir Ernie Hamilton Boyette

Aviation Art Store

During the day of sailing ships, Europe and England competed in the development of war ships. They also competed in racing ships.

The English and European yachts competed against each other for many years before America was even a nation.

Racing craft were different from luxury yachts in that they were built for speed. The zeal to design a craft that was built for speed than for the sake of transporting goods was looked down upon at first by the wealthy. Ship building was such a financial investment that the investors wanted something out of the boat and for it to be just a racer seemed void. Yet before long the rich would be financing the construction of racing yachts.

It was not until the early eighteen hundreds that yacht racing started to gain favor and interest as a gentlemanly sport in England and Europe. America was later to enter the competition in the mid eighteen hundreds.

In 1850 there were a group of America's who took a fancy with the yacht races the English and Europeans were competing in. The first racing vessel built by American investors was classified as a “Schooner” which was named appropriately the “America.”

"America"

The racing yacht America was build specifically to compete with the English and Europeans. In 1851 the American team raced for the first time against the best English and Europeans yachts and teams.

The design of the "America" was radical and presented the American team with a winner that beat every other entry hands down. The "America" was so far ahead of every other racer that when the "America" crossed the finish line the other racers were just coming into view on the horizon.

The "America" was sold after the race to different owners and ended up as a Confederate blockade runner during the Civil War. The America was scuttled at the mouth of the St. Johns River outside Jacksonville, Florida to keep from being captured by the Union Navy.

The American was raised after the war and was sold to several individuals until it was finally donated to the Navy to be used as a training yacht for cadets at Annapolis, Maryland.

The America, is truly one of our great historical ships.

The painting of the yacht, America 30x40"

The price for this painting is $1,8000.00 which includes shipping.

If you are interested in helping me plan and publish new prints please let me know so we can plan something special.

You will own the original painting, plus you will receive 100 prints.

You can also make payments. With 20% down and the balance over 6 to 12 months we can always work something out.

Let me know if you would like to work with me on one of these future prints or a whole series.

I love my job and would love to work with you on something special.

Sir Hamilton

1-904-406-5791

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All research, writings and most artwork are by Sir Ernie Hamilton Boyette.

No one is permitted to republish any part of this story with out my personal permission.

Please call or e-mail me for any use of this story.

I do not mind sharing, just call or e-mail and ask for permission.

Sir Ernie Hamilton Boyette

107 Arthur Moore Drive

Green Cove Springs, 32043

Photo Number; 904-406-5791

E-Mail Address; aviationartstore@peoplepc.com

Posted 3-2-07

Counter added on July 1, 2011