An individually handmade small glass sailing boat in clear sky blue and layered shades of fresh, leafy green.
The blue rises through the sail above a textured sweep of green glass, evoking an open sky over the natural landscape. Tiny bubbles and scattered fragments of colour add depth and movement, becoming especially luminous when the boat is displayed near a window.
This one-off sail was created from glass remaining from my St Francis of Assisi window, installed at St Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Ascot approximately 15 years ago.
The original window celebrated a saint whose life is closely associated with nature and the living world. By saving and refiring its remaining fragments, a small part of that earlier commission has been given a new life within the Regatta Collection.
Earth and Sky carries a direct connection to the original church window and cannot be reproduced in precisely the same form.
This listing is for the exact boat shown in the photograph. Only one is available.
Approximate overall height: 12 cm
Designed and handmade by Jan Simpson in her West Sussex studio.
THE STORY BEHIND THE REGATTA COLLECTION
The Regatta Collection grew from a lifetime spent around sailboats and the sea. Some of my earliest and strongest memories are connected with water, and sailing has remained a thread running through my life.
More recently, watching the racing from Felpham Beach and returning to New Zealand brought many of those memories back to the surface. While in Auckland during the Covid period, I was fortunate to attend the 36th America’s Cup. We travelled out by boat to the very edge of the racecourse, close enough to experience the extraordinary scale, speed and movement of the yachts as they passed. It was an unforgettable reminder of the power and elegance of a sail carried by the wind.
These glass boats are not intended as precise models. They are small responses to remembered sails, racing boats, shifting horizons and light moving across open water.
Each boat carries a fragment of those experiences: New Zealand waters, sailing in Hong Kong, the racing off Felpham and the enduring feeling of being at home near the sea.
DISPLAY AND CONSTRUCTION
The fused-glass sail rests on its own handmade clear-glass base, shaped to suggest a boat’s hull and finished with a polished chrome fitting.
Display it individually on a shelf, mantelpiece or windowsill, or place it alongside other boats from the collection to create your own regatta. Near natural light, the subtle tonal variations and striations within the blue glass become more visible.
The glass sail measures approximately 12 cm high.
As every component is individually handmade, measurements, colour distribution and markings may vary slightly from the photographs.
The sail separates from its stand for secure, compact delivery and is easily reassembled on arrival.
Designed and handmade by Jan Simpson in her West Sussex studio.
