An Atlantic Passing

Atlantic is a favorite subject of John Mecray since he played on her deck as a young boy. Mecray’s two earlier Nautical art prints of Atlantic sold out quickly and are now valued at several times their issue price. In this painting, John Mecray has portrayed the great schooner in triumphant days shortly after her launching in 1903. She is passing the world’s largest ocean liner at the time, the White Star Line’s Celtic. Under shortened sail and a good breeze, Atlantic cuts smartly through an ocean swell as Celtic ghosts by, fades into the mist and ultimately into history. In 1904 the schooner won both the Cape May and the Brenton Reef Cups. The next year she was entered in the transatlantic race for the Kaiser’s Cup. In that race she set a record of just over 11 days. It was a record that would stand for more than eight decades and established the Atlantic as one of the greatest yachts of all time.

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