Fair winds and following seas

River Thames
22 July 2012

A nautical phrase for good luck, ‘Fair Winds and Following Seas’ is a blessing to be used when departing on a journey, at a farewell ceremony, when there is a change of command or when a ship is newly commissioned.

As the Olympic torch crossed the Thames, distinctive sails on a flotilla of yachts escorted the flame. The designs were inspired by the unique weather patterns and geographical details of the local area, including a petrified forest that reveals itself beside Erith Yacht Club at low tide. The motifs illustrate the movement and language of sailing and the influence of wind directions and lunar cycles.

A Cultural Olympiad Project, commissioned by The London Borough of Bexley