FLYING FISH Sydney flying Squadron greeting card signed by the artist and Commodore Mark Foy

Artist E Lebihan

Date1890-1925

Object numberANMS0204[008]

NameCard

MediumInk on paper

ClassificationsEphemera

Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Mary Shaw

Terms

sailing

DescriptionThis greeting card features a watercolour of Mark Foy's FLYING FISH framed by a lifebuoy, the flag of the yacht and Foy's pennant. The card is signed "Mark Foy. Commodore. S. F. S."History"Who cares who wins when no-one knows? And the kernel of this sport is always wasted, not only to the spectators but to the competitor... who cares what the boats are doing when they sail out of sight?" In 1895, entrepreneur and founding Commodore of the Sydney Flying Squadron Mark Foy (1865-1950) wrote this about the manoeuvres of the big yachts in regattas. He preferred the potential of Sydney's smaller open boats. Open boats, or skiffs, were beamy boats with huge sails - and large crews of waterfront workers for ballast. Based on workboats from six to 24 feet (1.8 - 7.3m) long they were a spectacle on Sydney Harbour. Skiff racing was a tough working-mans sport. Foy introduced rules to make the sport more lively - coloured emblems for the sails, a short triangular course with handicapped stat, large prize money and spectator ferries with punters following the races. By the 1920s the open boats were standardised as 18-footers and were racing in Western Australia and Queensland.SignificanceThis card relates to Mark Foy - the founding Commodore of the Sydney Flying Squadron - who made a major contribution to the sport of sailing in Australia.