In 1888, the Beken family moved to the Isle of Wight, in the small port of Cowes, famous for its international sailing regatta, one of the oldest and most respected in the world. Young Frank Beken glanced out his bedroom window and had an epiphany that would transform the history of yachting. He watched the schooner Amphitrite glide past his house on the harbor, to compete against the world’s largest, most magnificent yachts racing at Cowes Week. Amphitrite was alive with abrupt movement and dramatic sounds, massive sails flapping in the wind. Frank thought: Why not photograph each yacht in action and record them forever?
A visual testament to the magnificence of the sport of sailing, Beken of Cowes prints are avidly sought after by relatives of the boats’ owners and crew, art historians and academics, naval architects, maritime aficionados and exclusive yacht clubs the world over. After more than 130 years of documenting the annual race week, Beken of Cowes still serves as its institutional memory, preserving the yachts in all their majesty and power, a tradition that promises to carry on for years. As Keith Beken was fond of saying, the most satisfying photograph is the one we shall take tomorrow.
Celebrating the very best in yachting, as photographed by the legendary Beken family for more than a century, Beken of Cowes: The Art of Sailing features an expanded selection of the world’s most magnificent sailboats from the golden age of yachting. This exceptional Ultimate Collection volume is presented in a luxury clamshell case with an image printed on a metal plaque.
Introduction by Michael Verdon.
Edition: 2026
