A world-class painter and “fountaineer” is to come to Bermuda to propose the creation of a momentous, 82-foot America’s Cup-themed water sculpture to be erected on the Island in time for the 2017 event.

Ranulf Rayner and his son Giles, who are currently working on a 40-foot sculpture for the Sultanate of Oman opposite the Royal Opera House in Muscat, have already designed a three-foot model (see front page) which they will bring to the Island next week and which will remain on display at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute.

The only thing missing is the funding — the full size versionm, said to withstand hurricane force winds, would need to attract some $1.5 million in sponsorship.

It is possible that a smaller version could be designed but Mr Rayner hopes to replicate a life-size wing sail of one of the 48-foot catamarans that will be racing here in 2017.

Mr Rayner, who has written a book, ‘The Story of the America’s Cup’, and who has painted several works depicting America’s Cup races, will be giving a presentation about the proposed water sculpture, and more generally, a brief history of the America’s Cup and its influence on technology illustrated by paintings and drawings, at BUEI on Wednesday, October 14 at 7.30pm.

He told The Royal Gazette: “I had been invited to Bermuda to give a presentation and I thought it would be a good time to introduce one of our water sculptures in the hope that somebody might sponsor it. We have designed a wing sail that will turn in the wind and act as a weather cock. It has been designed with one of our top mast designers in Southampton. It will be magnificent, it will be iconic and will have Bermuda written up the height of it on both sides and as it turns it will flash in the sunlight. It will be an iconic sign post for Bermuda and for yachtsmen.”

Mr Rayner has already written a letter to Larry Ellison, chief executive officer of the software company Oracle Corporation, with regards to sponsorship and hopes that his lecture will attract investment.

Mr Rayner has been to Bermuda on vacation several times and said that Morgan’s Point would be a good location for the sculpture or Dockyard where the America’s Cup village is being built.

The finished result would be made out of a marine quality steel combined with duplex and would rotate in a circular “lagoon” decorated with the four points of the compass.

Describing the vision he explained: “It will be magnificent — as it turns it will flash in the sunlight and you will see exactly which way the wind is blowing.

“The water is pumped up the ‘mast’ and exits in the form of the jib. We use the water to fairly astonishing effect. The whole fountain would be lit at night by very powerful underwater flood lights which point up the mast and also by exterior flood lights which lights up the wing sail itself around the whole of the lagoon. The lagoon is about 50-feet across in diameter. We try to make things look rather magical.”

During his visit, Mr Rayner will be auctioning off one of his previous paintings as well as a future painting he will create of Bermuda’s America’s Cup. Fifty per cent of proceeds from the sales will go towards the America’s Cup Endeavour community sailing programme along with ten per cent of sales of prints.

Mr Rayner studied at the prestigious Eton College, UK where he won a top art prize. The Americas Cup has been one of his greatest interests throughout his life and as a result of meeting yachtsman Ted Turner in 1977 he commissioned a young artist to paint a scene from every single America’s Cup since 1851. The works are forming part of an America’s Cup collection in Connecticut.

He will be joined on stage at BUEI by AC TV host Tucker Thompson.