An individually handmade set of three contemporary glass sailing boats, created in graduated sizes.
Sweeping bands of ruby red, golden yellow, fresh green, ocean blue and soft violet flow diagonally across each translucent sail. Where the colours meet, they soften and mingle in the heat of the kiln, creating the impression of a rainbow reflected and gently dispersed across moving water.
Created and fired together, the three coordinating boats form a complete miniature regatta. Each sail carries the colours in its own slightly different way, while the shared movement through the glass connects the three as a single artwork.
Rainbow Breeze is bright and uplifting without being overpowering, bringing a gentle sweep of colour to a shelf, mantelpiece or windowsill. When placed near a window, natural light passes through the glass and makes the colours appear especially luminous.
This colourway may be revisited, but the movement created during firing and the natural variations within the glass ensure that every regatta will be unique.
This listing is for the exact set of three shown in the photographs. Only one of this particular set is available.
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 coordinating colourway is made using individually formed fused-glass sails and handmade glass stands.
Natural variations within the glass ensure that no two boats—or regattas—will ever be completely identical. Each piece 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
Each 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 the three together as a regatta or arrange them individually across a shelf, mantelpiece or windowsill. Placed near a window, the translucent colour becomes particularly luminous as the light passes through the glass. Approximate overall heights:
Small: 12 cm
Medium:15 cm
Large: 17 cm
The largest glass hull measures approximately 12 × 4 cm. As every component is individually handmade, measurements, colour distribution and markings may vary slightly. The sails separate from their stands for secure, compact delivery and are easily reassembled on arrival.
Designed and handmade by Jan Simpson in her West Sussex studio. The three boats are sold together as a complete regatta.
