Chasing the Waves

The “New Chase” again. Perennial class “B” sloop champion built and sailed by Lauren Knowles of Mangrove Bush, Long Island, Bahamas. The bow boy is Stephan Knowles, who a year after this painting was done won the national youth sailing championship at Regatta Time in Exuma. In so doing he earned a summer’s trip to a summer sailing community, Cotuit, on Cape Cod. There Stephan had to learn all the American ways of racing. Like starting under weigh instead of at anchor. Like all the complex racing rules and tactics.
Cotuit is a place where a lot of wealthy and accomplished, forgive me for saying it but WASP-y folks live. And they take their racing in Cotuit skiffs extremely seriously. Art Paine, who now paints, once augmented his other vocations by building rather gorgeous varnished, sleek, competitive Cotuit skiffs in his shop in Bernard, Maine.
Stephan Knowles, age only sixteen years, entered in the most prestigious summer event of the season in Cotuit, the Cotuit Mosquito Yacht Club overall club championship. In a boat, the “Airforce” built by Art Paine. Against all those intensely competitive dare I say WASP lifetime sailors who know the shallow muddy waters of Cotuit harbor by the back of their suntanned hands.
Stephan Knowles, in the year of the summer of 1999 at the age of sixteen took home the Cotuit Mosquito Yacht Club overall club championship first prize to his home on the island of Mangrove Bush, on forgotten little Long Island, in the sleepy Bahamas. In a year or so, probably Lauren Knowles will give over the tiller of New Chase to Stephan. Then, Marcus Mitchell…..then we’ll see!