This is J Steven Dews, probably the world’s greatest living marine artist, who is visiting Valencia to gather material for a possible America’s Cup commission. Ernesto Bertarelli is one of his clients.

Yorkshire-born Dews, who confesses to never having passed an exam in his life, is also a keen yachtsman who has previously owned a Beneteau and a Swan 44. He currently owns a Colin Archer style 36 footer which he keeps in Port Stevens north of Sydney and which he ‘bought’ in return for a painting for the previous owner. He is currently considering commissioning a 60 foot shoal draught wood epoxy schooner.

Before moving to Australia he lived in Lymington. ‘I swapped a three bedroom house in Lymington for an 800 acre farm in New South Wales’.

For several years now I have been the proud owner of a limited edition print (signed, of course) of one of Dews’ classic paintings of Meteor IV racing Germania just off the Needles. The detail is just exquisite as is his depiction of the sea.