Westward vs Elena 

Newport 1911

Oil on Panel 12x18

Westward vs Elena 1911

The painting depicts the Historic meeting of the great Herreshoff schooners Westward and Elena in 1911

Westward had been built in 1910  For Alexander Smith Cochran of New York. She was built by the Herreshoff Manufacturing company  of Bristol Rhode Island to the design of Nat Herreshoff. She was the third and largest of his great schooner designs to that date.

In her maiden season Cochran appointed the  famous Americas Cup winning skipper Charlie Barr as captain. With a had picked crew of 31 Barr tuned Westward up before sailing across the Atlantic to race in the English and European regattas of 1910.

Her first European races where at Kiel on June 25,27,29 and 30^th where she raced the great German schooners Meteor iv, Germania, Hamburg(ex Rainbow) and Nordstern. Taking 3 1sts and 1 4^th.

During Cowes week she raced Germania and Meteor iv again as well as Cicely and Susanne , winning all 3 races.

In 1911 Westward returned home ( sadly without Charlie Barr who had died in Southampton on January 24^th 1911)to the US to race Morton F Plants new schooner Elena, The two yachts where almost identical except for Elena having a centerboard in her keel unlike Westward.

Although Westward won the Astor Cup that year she shared honors with Elena , Enchantress and Irolita(ex Queen) due to the prevailing light winds that year favored by Elena. She racing again in American waters in 1912 before being sold that Autumn.

In 1913Westward renamed as Hamburg ii and now owned by the German Kaiser and painted black raced again at Kiel against the other German schooners and the new Nicholson schooner Margherita(owned by Major Cecil Whitaker). Margherita swept the board resulting in the Kaiser laying Hamburg ii up.

In 1920 Westward under the ownership of Mr Clarence Hatry reappeared in the Solent under a reduced rig(13,455 sq feet.) This season saw her racing for the first time her long term rival Britannia owned by King George V. as well as Susanne, White Heather, Nyria and Terpischore amongst others.

In 1924 Westward passed into her final and most famous owner T B Davis a self made Chanel Islander. Davis in his years of ownership skippered her himself and had a crew of had picked channel islanders who spent the off season repairing and maintaining her in the Channel Islands. Davis and his crew kept Westward in top condition and kept her competitive by doing various modifications to her rig over the ensuing years. Though out the 20s and the 30s she racing in the Golden Age of Solent “ Big Class Yachting” racing such famous yachts as Britannia, Velsheda, Candida, Astra, Shamrock V Endeavour and Yankee.  In 1934 she even raced Blue Nose in a race to commemorate the Kings Silver Jubilee.

1935 saw Westward and Britannia race for the last time, now outmatched by the lighter Js  Samrock V, Endeavour and Velsheda. 1936 saw Britannia scuttled on the death of King George V . Westward was now converted for cruising and a had an engine fitted.

After  the Death of Davis in 1942  Westward was scuttled according to his will in July 15^th 1947 in 94 fathoms of water 5 miles off Casquets Light.

Elena Westwards near sister continued to have a great racing career herself, winning the Astor Cup in 1912, 1913 and 1916 and also the Kings Cup and Cape May Cup. In 1928 she won the large class in the Trans Atlantic race to Santander.

Specifications

Steel Schooner  323 tons

LOA 135ft

LWL 96ft 1inch

Breadth 27ft 1 inch

Draft 16ft 9inch

Sail Area 12,000

A great reference for Westward is " The Racing Schooner Westard by Hamilton Adams, published by Stanford Maritime press 1976.