Above: Yacht with spinnaker – John Dumergue

By John A Dumergue

During September this year the Royal Society of Marine Artists in the UK held their 80th Annual Exhibition. Included in the exhibition was a day out painting on the HMS Wellington. This ship is moored on the Thames embankment. The society also had other events during the show.

After reading about this Marine Art It reminded me of two paintings I created in 2007, one titled ‘Storm’ and the other titled ‘Yacht Race’. It is only now that I realise why I chose to paint some Marine Art. Yachting was an activity pursued by some of my family members and me, and it must be in our blood.

My father owned the two masted ketch ‘Miranda~ In 1949 he and his crew sailed from Lyttelton competing in the Tasman yacht race bound for Sydney. After 25 miles out to sea they encountered very rough weather and had to return home.

My eldest brother owned a Sunburst yacht, and occasionally he crewed for his Doctor friend who was also Commodore of a Cruising Club.

My other older brother owned a yacht named The Cherub but was not a racing dingy known as a Cherub. Sometimes we would sail on Lyttelton Harbour
together.

To add to the list is my son is building a six metre runabout.

When I was in my fifties I owned a Windsurfer and sailed this at the Ferrymead Estuary in Christchurch. With all these sailing memories I felt inspired to paint another yacht. The final work was a yacht all in white just to be different. And to make the painting ‘POP’ used yellow light shining from the portholes.

I still have working drawings for a Hartley 14 foot Trailer Sailer but:- The question is:- ‘To build or not to build’?