DeWitt Art Installation Brings Sailing to the Public in Richmond

We’ve received a note and photos from Sally DeWitt, Jim DeWitt’s widow, saying, “I am happy to say that one of Jim’s paintings is being installed as public art on the side of a very large, new building in Point Richmond. The finished piece will be 40-ft x 40-ft. The painting depicts El Toros racing. It is on the south wall of the building at Cutting Boulevard and Canal Avenue.”

Our recent trip to San Diego reminded us how public art helps connect the public to the sea, since most of what sailors do is out of sight of those on land. Because we can’t spend all our time at sea, public sailing art brings some of the beauty of sailing ashore for everyone to treasure, and it serves to remind us all to set off once again.

Sally went on to say, “I’ve included photos of a three-dimensional depiction of El Toros and an information placard installed across the street from this mural, between KKMI and the Point San Pablo Yacht Club. The El Toros were designed and first built in Richmond. Jim built #216 and learned to sail and race it on Lake Merritt in Oakland. I think he was about 16 years old in the mid-1940s. He lost his first race in #216 — it was his first time sailing a boat himself, after all — but he was a quick learner and tied for first place for the season on Lake Merritt that same year. Don Trask and he were sailing buddies and fierce competitors, starting in El Toros on Lake Merritt. I swear Jim painted himself leading the pack in this particular painting.”

The history of the El Toro starts in Richmond, where it was conceived as a development of the Sabot. The leeboard was replaced with a centerboard, along with other design developments that came out of spirited bull sessions, resulting in the final design with a shovel for all the bull as the symbol on the mainsail. Over 11,000 El Toros have since been built, and it remains a very active fleet locally and elsewhere. Besides Jim DeWitt and Don Trask, numerous very successful sailors started their sailing lives in the El Toro fleet, including Paul Cayard and John Kostecki.

Sally concluded, “It’s taken about two months to put together the mural project. Kudos to Jonathan Livingston, RYC member (and owner of the Wylie 39 Punk Dolphin), for launching the project with the City of Richmond. It finally got started this week. A group of artists from Oakland, under the heading BAMP (Bay Area Mural Program), are installing the mural.”

There’s no doubt that, like sailing, public art can lift everyone’s spirits. Sailing is fortunate to have had artists like Jim DeWitt and other advocates to help bring the beauty of sailing to the public. If you have other examples of public art displays of sailing, please send photos of them to [email protected].