John Hamilton Mortimer and the discovery of Captain Cook
John Hamilton Mortimer (1740-1779),
Captain James Cook, Sir Joseph Banks, Lord Sandwich, Dr Daniel Solander and Dr John Hawkesworth, c. 1771, oil on canvas, nla.pic-an7351768
The National Library of Australia holds within its large collection of artworks a most intriguing eighteenth century painting, the bequest of Dame Merlyn Myer. A beautiful work in good condition, the painting is unsigned and lacks its original title. Early research into the painting revealed that it had hung unremarked in private collections for 150 years and then suffered a misattribution to Johann Zoffany which, while initially inflating its value in the art market, had obscured the painting’s true identity and significance. Rejection of the Zoffany attribution also cast doubt on the subjects Joseph Banks and Captain Cook and the date 1771
Graduate Open at Chipstead Sailing Club by Bob Murrell 24 May 16:02 BST 9 May 2021
The timely relaxation of the COVID rules meant that Chipstead SC were able to run the 2021 Graduate open meeting on 9th May. In common with previous years it was a shared event with the Herons.
The Grads fleet of 13 entrants was greeted with a gusty South South Westerly, which can be a tricky direction at Chipstead as the wind swirls around the trees on the South shore. The OOD, Richard Ball, and his team from the Solo fleet laid a start line just at the Western end of the Narrows using a temporary flag pole to comply with COVID regulations. The line was quite biased and so a port tack start was available for those brave enough to try it.
Irish Cruising Club Fly the Flag for Responsible Cruising
20th February 2021
Irish Cruising Club s Honorary Editor Maire Breathnach at the helm of the Swan 42 King of Hearts at Cape Horn.
The Irish Cruising Club has been producing a printed Annual collating its members doings afloat and ashore through logs and narratives for ninety years now. And while these days this substantial collection is in circulation before Christmas as a matter of course - thanks to the succession of Honorary Editors being notably on top of production technology and sticking to a rather fierce deadline - it isn t until after the Club s AGM in February that any of it goes public, following which the many logs – and particularly the award-winning ones – are available online on the club s website.