Beken of Cowes returns
The legendary Bekens return with a stunning new volume celebrating the world’s most magnificent sailboats from the golden age of yachting.
09 April 2026
The iconic Beken family, whose photography has chronicled sailing’s greatest yachts for over 130 years, has released the second edition of Beken of Cowes: The Art of Sailing.
The new tome features an expanded selection of the world’s most iconic sailboats, captured in the dramatic, in-action style that made the Bekens a household name in yachting circles.
The story began when, in 1888, the Beken family moved to the Isle of Wight, in the small port of Cowes, famous for its international sailing regatta ‘Cowes Week’ – one of the oldest and most respected in the world.
Advertisement
Young Frank Beken glanced out his bedroom window and was inspired to photograph yachts racing past his window after watching the schooner Amphitrite glide by on the harbour, to compete against the world’s largest, most magnificent yachts – and the family legacy began.
Since then, the Bekens have documented generations of racing yachts, creating an unparalleled visual archive sought after by yacht owners, naval architects, art historians, and maritime enthusiasts worldwide.
This latest, second edition is presented as part of Assouline’s Ultimate Collection in a luxury PVC clamshell case, complete with a metal plaque featuring a Cowes sailing image – a collector’s piece for the serious yachting aficionado.
With this edition, the Bekens also continue to capture the enduring beauty and power of the sport of sailing, ensuring a tradition that promises to carry on for years yet.
Keith Beken, one of the family’s long-standing photographers, summed up the ethos of the project with a favorite adage that the most satisfying photograph is the one “we shall take tomorrow.”
Beken of Cowes: The Art of Sailing is now available on assouline.com and at Assouline boutiques worldwide.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Wearn wins in Palma
