A solid illustrative painting of a style that James Gale Tyler is well known for, this colorful narrative depicts a massive "tall ship" under full sail speeding over through the ocean, while being shadowed by an armed naval ship. The fast moving merchant ship has many men in her rigging, working the sails to maximum advantage with the prevailing wind. This maritime painting shows the artist’s emphasis on mood and emotion through coloration, with its strong romantic tones infused with Tyler's enthusiasm for marine subjects.

On the sunny day, the crew is active working the rig and watching the power of nature out-speed the mechanical might of the naval ship. A fine balance is struck between the drive of the sails and the heeling of the ship, pushing as hard as they may without causing undue strain. In almost all maritime trade routes, being first counts, whether it is to pick up cargos, or to obtain the best price in port. In a calm, sailors would even call on Norse tradition and whistle to summon the wind, a superstition which continues.

Tyler's ocean carries a broad rolling swell, and the full-rigged ship is slicing a wake against its hull as the ship makes way. Atmospheric layers in the sky nicely brighten and illuminate the scene. Although the ship's identity is unrecorded, a house flag holds the top mast, and its colors are echoes in the rust preventative hull paint, mostly effective, with flashes of color throughout the water. A nice large scene of early 20th Century maritime action.