A French regatta with a racing cutter approaching the finishing line

Classic yacht racing in its various forms has never enjoyed the enormous popularity in France that it has in Great Britain and the United States ever since the mid-nineteenth century. Nevertheless, France boasts a number of distinguished yacht clubs which regularly host their own as well as more international regattas during the season even though paintings of these events can be considered rare when compared to the immeasurably more common works depicting the activities - past and present - of British and American yachting.

The anchor device after the signature suggests that Le Duc was an official French Government marine artist.