Hermes Scarf Vent Portant (Down Wind) Barely Worn, Quite Rare

The ultimate Hermes scarf for the yachtie in your life – both a technical and aesthetic celebration of the art of sailing!  Very hard to find, this stunning Hermes scarf feels virtually unworn, but we’ve taken it to the cleaners to make sure you, or your loved one, gets it at its very best. Condition 9.8/10.

The scarf’s creator, Dutch marine artist, Yannick Manier, born in 1947, only designed three Hermes scarves – each one featuring huge and dramatic classic racing yachts: ‘En Course’ (literally, ‘In The Race’), Rafales (‘Squall’) and Vent Portant (‘down wind’). These scarves were issued in 1989, 1988 and 1992 respectively. Vent Portant was subsequently re-issued as a ‘detail’ in 2003, which these days is more readily available than this original.

Two famous yachts beloved by Manier are the ‘Tuiga’ and ‘Hispania’, later featured in marine artist Roger Davies’ painting ‘Tuiga, Hispania, and the Lady Anne’ (currently on sale for £37,000!). Davies’ picture depicts the three yachts competing against each other in Cowes Roads in 1912 in the 15-metre class. This was a popular class, and in total 19 vessels were built, all designed by William Fife, four of which are still sailing today, beautifully restored, the fourth being ‘Mariska’. Confusingly, a ’15-metre classic racing yacht’ typically measures 23 – 28 metres in length.

Tuiga and Hispania were both built in 1909 as twins, so that they would be equally matched in races.

After several years of complete restoration, Tuiga is today the Yacht Club de Monaco’s flagship, and was celebrated in yet another Hermes scarf, designed in 2008 by Dominik Jarlegant. In 2013 she was voted the finest classic yacht of all time.

Hispania was first owned by King Alfonso XII of Spain. She was restored in 2005.

The Lady Anne was refitted in 1999.

The four Classic yachts competed for the first time in 100 years in the Monacao Classic Week in 2011.

Manier also produced a series of original watercolours, featuring the most iconic yachts of the late 70s and early 80s, currently available in a limited edition volume of 19 lithographs. The yachts include the infamous Admiral Cup-winning ‘Police Car’, an Australian yacht, designed by Britain’s then top naval architect, Ed Dubois, and several of the winners of the 1973/4 and 1977/78 and 1981/82 Whitbread Around the World Races; ‘Williwaw’ which won the Admirals Cup and raced in the 1979 disastrous Fastnet Race; and the 73’ ‘Windward Passage’, which has been beautifully preserved and is still racing today.

This dramatic scarf brings the grandeur and movement of these enormous yachts to life. All three of Manier’s scarves breathe the very essence of the yachts’ beauty, as they crash through the waves – feel the wind whistling through your hair! Smell the damp of the spray!

Today, Vent Portant is highly sought after by collectors for its technical depiction of 1930s sailing. The scarf illustrates various points of sail, following the vessel as she moves through stages such as downwind, broad reach, and close-hauled – “technical mastery,” capturing intricate sailing movements with stunning detail.