Clipper ships
Encyclopedia
At the 'crest of the clipper wave' year of 1852, there were 200 clippers rounding Cape Horn.
Notable examples of the clipper ship include:
Notable examples of the clipper ship include:
- Archibald RussellArchibald RussellArchibald George Blomefield Russell, CVO, FSA was an English art historian and a long-serving officer of arms at the College of Arms in London.-Early life:...
, 1905, a steel-hulled 4-masted barque, 291.3 ft. x 43 ft. x 24 ft., built by Scott Shipbuilding and Engineering Co of GreenockGreenockGreenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in United Kingdom, and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...
. In 1923 she was sold to Gustaf Erikson, MariehamnMariehamnMariehamn is the capital of Åland, an autonomous territory under Finnish sovereignty. Mariehamn is the seat of the Government and Parliament of Åland, and 40% of the population of Åland live in the city...
, Aland IslandsÅland IslandsThe Åland Islands form an archipelago in the Baltic Sea. They are situated at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia and form an autonomous, demilitarised, monolingually Swedish-speaking region of Finland...
, FinlandFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
and put on the Australian wheat trade. It was scrapped in 1949. - ArielAriel (clipper)Ariel was a clipper ship famous for making fast voyages between China and England in the late 1860s.Ariel was a full rigged ship of 853 tons net register, measuring x 33.9 feet x . She was designed by William Rennie, and built in 1865 by Robert Steele & Co., Greenock for Shaw, Lowther & Maxton of...
, 1865, 197.4 ft. x 33.9 ft. x 21 ft., designed by William Rennie, built by Robert Steele & Co, GreenockGreenockGreenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in United Kingdom, and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...
for Shaw, Lowther & Maxton of LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. In late 1872 she left London bound for Sydney and was not heard of again. - BlackadderBlackadder (clipper)Blackadder was a clipper ship, a sister ship to Hallowe'en, built in 1870 by Maudslay, Sons & Field at Greenwich for John Willis.Blackadder was dismasted on her maiden voyage due to failures in the mast fittings and rigging...
, 1870, (sister ship to Hallowe'enHallowe'en (clipper)Hallowe’en was an iron clipper ship with a tonnage of 920 tons. She was built in 1870 by Maudslay, Son & Field at Greenwich for John "Jock" "White Hat" Willis, and was a sister ship to Blackadder....
), built by Maudsley, Sons & Field at GreenwichGreenwichGreenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
for John Willis. On 5 November 1905 she was wrecked whilst on passage from BarryBarry, WalesBarry is a town and community in the Vale of Glamorgan in Wales. Located along the northern coast of the Bristol Channel less than south-southwest of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, Barry is a seaside resort, with attractions including several beaches and the Barry Island Pleasure Park...
to BahiaBahiaBahia is one of the 26 states of Brazil, and is located in the northeastern part of the country on the Atlantic coast. It is the fourth most populous Brazilian state after São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, and the fifth-largest in size...
loaded with coal. - Challenge, 1851, extreme clipper built by William H. WebbWilliam H. WebbWilliam Henry Webb was a 19th-century New York shipbuilder and philanthropist, who has been called America's first true naval architect....
in NYC for the San Francisco run. 230' mainmast, 224' length, 2000 tons, 12,780 yards of sail. Captain Robert Waterman expected to beat Flying Cloud. Brutal treatment of inexperienced crew by Waterman and first mate James Douglass caused riots when San Franciscans heard of the first passage. Wrecked off UshantUshantUshant is an island at the south-western end of the English Channel which marks the north-westernmost point of metropolitan France. It belongs to Brittany and is in the traditional region of Bro-Leon. Administratively, Ushant is a commune in the Finistère department...
, 1876 - Champion of the SeasChampion of the SeasChampion of the Seas was the second large clipper ship destined for the Liverpool, England - Melbourne, Australia passenger service. Champion was ordered by James Baines of the Black Ball Line from Donald McKay...
holds the speed record of 465 miles in 24 hours, set in 1854. - City of AdelaideCity of Adelaide (1864)The City of Adelaide was built in 1864 by William Pile, Hay and Co. in Sunderland, England, and was launched on 7 May 1864. The ship was commissioned in the Royal Navy as HMS Carrick between 1923 and 1948 and, after decommissioning, was known as Carrick until 2001...
, 1864. Oldest surviving hull of a clipper but threatened with demolition in 2010. - Cornwallis, 1862. Ship of the Black Ball LineBlack Ball LineBlack Ball Line or Blackball Line can refer to:* Black Ball Line , a fleet of packet ships running between Liverpool and New York, the first scheduled trans-Atlantic service, founded in 1817....
, depicted in The Illustrated London News. Wrecked off the Pitcairn IslandsPitcairn IslandsThe Pitcairn Islands , officially named the Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, form a group of four volcanic islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. The islands are a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union in the Pacific...
and commemorated on a 1994 set of the Islands' stamps, Pitcairn 403-406, MNH. Michel 432-435 - Cutty SarkCutty SarkThe Cutty Sark is a clipper ship. Built in 1869, she served as a merchant vessel , and then as a training ship until being put on public display in 1954...
, 1869. Built as a merchant vessel (the last clipper to be built for that purpose), and then as a training ship until being put on public display in 1954. - Donald McKay, 1855, 2604 tons, 266' x 46'3" x 29'5". Named after its designerDonald McKayDonald McKay was a Canadian-born American designer and builder of sailing ships.He was born in Jordan Falls, Shelburne County on Nova Scotia's South Shore. In 1826 he moved to New York, working for shipbuilders Brown & Bell and Isaac Webb...
. - Fiery CrossFiery Cross (clipper)Fiery Cross was a famous British Tea Clipper which sailed in the Great Tea Race of 1866.-Tea trade:From 1860-1875, the ship sailed in the tea trade between London and Chinese ports like Hong Kong, Foochow, Canton, and Shanghai....
, 1860. Richard 'Dickie' Robinson of WorkingtonWorkingtonWorkington is a town, civil parish and port on the west coast of Cumbria, England, at the mouth of the River Derwent. Lying within the Borough of Allerdale, Workington is southwest of Carlisle, west of Cockermouth, and southwest of Maryport...
was appointed captain of the Fiery CrossFiery Cross (clipper)Fiery Cross was a famous British Tea Clipper which sailed in the Great Tea Race of 1866.-Tea trade:From 1860-1875, the ship sailed in the tea trade between London and Chinese ports like Hong Kong, Foochow, Canton, and Shanghai....
in 1861, and under his command she won the tea race three times in the six years. Fiery Cross finished fourth in the famous The Great Tea Race of 1866The Great Tea Race of 1866The Great Tea Race of 1866 was an unofficial competition between the fastest clipper ships of the China tea trade to bring the season's first crop of tea to London in 1866....
, won in 106 days. Captain Robinson won the race a further two times when he was in command of Sir Lancelot. On his final passage in 1869, he came home in 89 days, a record that still stands to this day. - Flying Cloud, 1851. Holds New York to San Francisco record 89 days 8 hours in 1854, sister ship of the Northern Light. Second copy of the new design that produced the fastest clipper ships (Northern Light was built first).
- Glory of the Seas
- Great RepublicGreat RepublicLaunched on October 4, 1853 the Great Republic is noteworthy as the largest wooden clipper ship ever constructed.-Construction of the largest wooden clipper ship:...
, 1853. Designed by Donald MacKay and built in New York, she was at 335 feet the largest wooden merchant sailing ship ever built, a record that still stands. Before she made her maiden voyage, however, a fire on shore spread to her dock, and she burned to the waterline. She was rebuilt and relaunched. - Hallowe’enHallowe'en (clipper)Hallowe’en was an iron clipper ship with a tonnage of 920 tons. She was built in 1870 by Maudslay, Son & Field at Greenwich for John "Jock" "White Hat" Willis, and was a sister ship to Blackadder....
, 1870 (sister ship to BlackadderBlackadder (clipper)Blackadder was a clipper ship, a sister ship to Hallowe'en, built in 1870 by Maudslay, Sons & Field at Greenwich for John Willis.Blackadder was dismasted on her maiden voyage due to failures in the mast fittings and rigging...
), 920 tons, 216.6 ft. x 35.2 ft. x 20.5 ft., built by Maudsley, Sons & Field at GreenwichGreenwichGreenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
for John WillisJohn WillisAir Chief Marshal Sir John Frederick Willis GBE, KCB, FRAeS , was a senior Royal Air Force officer.-Flying career:...
. Due to faults in her sister ship Blackadder, which caused dismasting on her maiden voyage, Hallowe'en was not handed over to Willis for nearly 18 months after her launch due to protracted legal action. Hallowe'en was fast in light airs and recorded many fast passages from China. In 1887 she was on passage from Foochow loaded with tea and was wrecked off SalcombeSalcombeSalcombe is a town in the South Hams district of Devon, south west England. The town is close to the mouth of the Kingsbridge Estuary, built mostly on the steep west side of the estuary and lies within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
, South DevonSouth DevonSouth Devon is the southern part of the county of Devon, England.South Devon may also refer to*South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty*South Devon *South Devon College*South Devon cattle, a breed of cattle...
, BritainUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. - HouquaHouqua (clipper)The Houqua was an early clipper ship with an innovative hull design, built for A.A. Low & Brother in 1844. She sailed in the China trade.-Name:...
, 1844. Laid down along lines designed by packet captain Nat PalmerNathaniel PalmerNathaniel Brown Palmer was an American seal hunter, explorer, sailing captain, and ship designer. He was born in Stonington, Connecticut.-Sealing career and Antarctic exploration:...
of Stonington, CT. Built by Brown & Bell of New York for the China merchants A.A. Low & Bro, she was launched in 1844, named after a Chinese merchant who had died the previous year. Dogged by ill luck during her career, she disappeared at sea after leaving Yokohama in 1864. - James BainesJames Baines (clipper)The James Baines was a passenger clipper ship completely constructed of timber in the 1850s and launched on 25 July 1854 from the East Boston shipyard of the famous ship builder Donald McKay in the USA for the Black Ball Line of James Baines & Co., Liverpool...
, 1854. Launched on 25 July from the East Boston shipyard of the famous ship builder Donald McKay in the USA for the Black Ball Line of James Baines & Co., Liverpool. achieved 21 knots speed in 1856 - John R. Worcester, 1865, composite built clipper, built by Marine Investment Co. Ltd (Glasgow) for John R. Worcester, London. 191'5" x 32'4" x 19'9", 844 tons net.
- King PhilipKing Philip shipwreckThe King Philip shipwreck is the wreck of the King Philip, a 19th century clipper ship—a fast commercial three-masted sailing ship—which was named after an Indian chief. The wreck of this ship is only rarely visible; very infrequently the timbers can be seen protruding from the sands of Ocean...
, 1856, Alna, MaineAlna, MaineAlna is a town in Lincoln County, Maine, United States. The population was 675 at the 2000 census. Home to the Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway Museum, Alna includes the early mill village of Head Tide, noted for its historic architecture.-History:...
; wrecked at San Francisco, 1878. - LeanderLeander (clipper)Leander was a composite built clipper ship. She was designed by Bernard Waymouth, and built in 1867 by J G Lawrie of Glasgow for Joseph Somes.-Ship history:...
, 1867, compositeComposite shipThe technique of composite ship construction emerged in the mid-19th century as the final stage in the evolution of fast commercial sailing ships....
built clipper, 215.5 ft. x 35.2 ft. x 20.7 ft., 848 tons net, designed by Bernard Waymouth, built by J.G. Lawrie, GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
for Joseph Somes. - Light BrigadeOcean Telegraph / Light Brigade (clipper)The Ocean Telegraph was an American clipper ship. Built in 1854 for the run between New York and San Francisco, she was later sold and renamed the Light Brigade in 1863...
, see Ocean TelegraphOcean Telegraph / Light Brigade (clipper)The Ocean Telegraph was an American clipper ship. Built in 1854 for the run between New York and San Francisco, she was later sold and renamed the Light Brigade in 1863...
. - LightningLightning (clipper)Lightning was a clipper ship, one of the last really large clippers to be built in the USA. She was built by Donald McKay for James Baines of the Black Ball Line, Liverpool, for the Australia trade....
, 1854. Built by Donald McKay for James Baines of the Black Ball Line, Liverpool, for the Australia trade. Second fastest speed record 436 miles in 24 hours on maiden voyage Boston - Liverpool, and third fastest record of 430 miles in 24 hrs going to Australia. - LothairLothair (clipper)Lothair was a composite clipper ship of roughly 794 tons, built in 1869 by William Waker at Rotherhithe for his own shipping business. In 1873, she was purchased by Killick, Martin & Co. and sailed in the tea trade to ports such as London, New York, Yokohama and Hong Kong.In 1885, she was sold to...
, 1869, iron, 794 tons, built by William Walker at RotherhitheRotherhitheRotherhithe is a residential district in inner southeast London, England and part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is located on a peninsula on the south bank of the Thames, facing Wapping and the Isle of Dogs on the north bank, and is a part of the Docklands area...
for their own shipping business. In 1873, she was purchased by Killick, Martin & Co. Lothair sailed on until about 1910. - Marco PoloMarco Polo (ship)Marco Polo was a 3-masted wooden clipper ship, launched in 1851 at Saint John, New Brunswick. It was named after Venetian explorer Marco Polo.-Construction and design:She measured 184 feet in length, with a beam of 36 feet, and draught of 29 feet...
, 1851. In 1852 she made England-Australia round trip in less than 6 months. - MimosaMimosa (ship)The Mimosa was a clipper ship best known for carrying the first Welsh emigrants to South America in 1865.-Voyage to Patagonia:By the time Mimosa made the voyage she was already past her prime, having been built in 1853 at Hall's shipyard in Aberdeen. She had not been designed to carry passengers,...
, 1853, converted to carry Welsh settlers to Patagonia in 1865. - Norman CourtNorman Court (clipper)Norman Court was a composite built clipper ship, designed by William Rennie, measuring 197.4 ft x 33 ft x 20 ft, of 833.87 tons net. The ship was built in 1869 by A. & J. Inglis of Glasgow. On the night of 29 March 1883 in a strong gale it was driven ashore and wrecked in Cymyran...
, 1869, composite built clipper, 197.4 ft. x 33 ft. x 20 ft., 833.87 tons net, designed by William Rennie, built by A & J Inglis, GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. On the night of 29 March 1883 in a strong gale she was driven ashore and wrecked in Cymmeran Bay. - Northern LightNorthern Light (clipper)The Northern Light was an American clipper ship. In 1853 she sailed from San Francisco, California to Boston, Massachusetts via Cape Horn with Captain Freeman Hatch at the helm in a record-setting 76 days, 6 hours. The record still stands for a single hull vessel. In 1993 the record was soundly...
, 1851, built in Boston and designed by naval architect Samuel Hartt PookSamuel Hartt PookSamuel Hartt Pook was a Boston-based American naval architect noted for designing very fast clipper ships.-Clipper ships:...
. His design for the new Northern Light was radically innovative, being raked very sharply below the waterline and with full and powerful lines topside. Arguably, the Northern Light was the fastest of all the clipper ships. In 1853, Northern Light set the record from San Francisco around Cape Horn to an east coast port (Boston) of 76 days 5 hours. - Ocean TelegraphOcean Telegraph / Light Brigade (clipper)The Ocean Telegraph was an American clipper ship. Built in 1854 for the run between New York and San Francisco, she was later sold and renamed the Light Brigade in 1863...
, 1854. Renamed Light BrigadeOcean Telegraph / Light Brigade (clipper)The Ocean Telegraph was an American clipper ship. Built in 1854 for the run between New York and San Francisco, she was later sold and renamed the Light Brigade in 1863...
1863. A clipper ship built for Reed, Wade & Co., Boston for the New York to San Francisco run. Built by James O. Curtis, Medford, MA, to the design of Boston-based naval architect Samuel Hartt PookSamuel Hartt PookSamuel Hartt Pook was a Boston-based American naval architect noted for designing very fast clipper ships.-Clipper ships:...
. Launched 29 March 1854. Dimensions 227' × 40' × 23' and tonnage 1495 tons Old Measurement. A very sharp clipper said to be one of the most perfect ships ever built as no expense was spared to make her so. - Phoenician, 478 tons, White Star line, first clipper ship to go to Australia, arrived Port JacksonPort JacksonPort Jackson, containing Sydney Harbour, is the natural harbour of Sydney, Australia. It is known for its beauty, and in particular, as the location of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge...
July 21, 1849, a trip of 91 days. - Queen Of NationsQueen Of Nations (clipper ship)Queen Of Nations was an 827-ton wooden clipper ship. She was built in Aberdeen in 1861, and sailed out of Auckland, New Zealand, on the Sydney to Liverpool route.Queen of Nations wrecked in May 1881 on Corrimal Beach, New South Wales, Australia...
, 1861, 827 tons, built in Aberdeen, wrecked in 1881 with a cargo of distilled spirits - RainbowRainbow (clipper)The Rainbow, launched in New York in 1845 to sail in the China trade for the firm Howland & Aspinwall, was the first extreme clipper ship.-The first extreme clipper ship:...
, 1844. Sometimes called the first of the true clipper ships, designed by John W. GriffithsJohn W. GriffithsJohn Willis Griffiths was an American naval architect who designed the first true clipper ship.His first ship, the Rainbow, was viewed with shock as a difference in design, until she made the round trip from New York to Canton in 180 days instead of the normal year.-Books and...
and built by Smith & Dimon of New York for China merchants Howland & AspinwallHowland & AspinwallHowland & Aspinwall was a merchant firm based in New York City in the 1830s and 1840s. It specialized in the Pacific Ocean trade, especially the importing of goods from China...
. So extensive was criticism of its radical design that Howland & Aspinwall delayed its construction, weighing a redesign, while rivals Brown & Bell, also of New York, completed and launched the clipper HouquaHouqua (clipper)The Houqua was an early clipper ship with an innovative hull design, built for A.A. Low & Brother in 1844. She sailed in the China trade.-Name:...
for China merchants A.A. Low & BroAbiel Abbot LowAbiel Abbot Low was an American entrepreneur, businessman, trader and philanthropist who gained most of his fortune from the China trade, importing teas, porcelains, and silk, and building and operating a fleet of reputable clipper ships.- Early life :Abiel Abbot Low was one of twelve children of...
. Rainbow was not launched until Feb 1845, 9 months after Houqua. - Red JacketRed Jacket (clipper)|-Further reading:-External links:* -Images and models:** by Percy A. Sandborne* Currier and Ives print* Currier and Ives print, with less color, Springfield Museum* ship model...
, 1853, 260 ft. x 44 ft., 4,000 tons net. Designed by Samuel Hartt PookSamuel Hartt PookSamuel Hartt Pook was a Boston-based American naval architect noted for designing very fast clipper ships.-Clipper ships:...
, built by the George Taylor yards, RocklandRockland, MaineRockland is a city in Knox County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,297. It is the county seat of Knox County. The city is a popular tourist destination...
. Her maiden voyage, from New York to Liverpool set an unbroken dock to dock speed record of 13 days, one hour and 25 minutes. She originally sailed the Liverpool to Melbourne run. In 1854 she set another record from Liverpool to Melbourne of 67 days, 13 hours. In 1870 she was sold into the Canadian timber trade, and in 1882 was sent to the Cape Verde Islands, where she expired as a coal hulk. - Sea WitchSea Witch (clipper)The Sea Witch was an American clipper ship designed by naval architect John W. Griffiths for the China trading firm of Howland & Aspinwall. She was launched in Manhattan on December 8, 1846.-Model for American clipper ship design:...
, 1846. 170 ft, 3 in. Her 140 ft mainmast carried 5 tiers of sails, as did the shorter fore and mizzen masts. In 1849 she made a record-setting run from Hong Kong to New York in 74 days under Captain Robert "Bully Bob" Waterman. The previous record, also held by Sea Witch and Captain Waterman, was 77 days, set in 1847. - SericaSerica (clipper)The Serica was a clipper ship built in 1863 by Robert Steele & Co., at Greenock on the south bank of the Clyde, Scotland, for James Findlay.-Winner of 1864 Tea Race:Serica is Latin for "China"-- the ship was built expressly for the China tea trade...
1863, built by Robert Steel & Co, GreenockGreenockGreenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in United Kingdom, and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...
for the China tea trade. Participated in The Great Tea Race of 1866The Great Tea Race of 1866The Great Tea Race of 1866 was an unofficial competition between the fastest clipper ships of the China tea trade to bring the season's first crop of tea to London in 1866....
. - Sir LancelotSir Lancelot (clipper)Sir Lancelot was a clipper ship which sailed in the China trade and the India-Mauritius trade.Built in 1865 by Robert Steele & Co, Greenock, Sir Lancelot was "a beautiful tea clipper" called the Yacht of the Indian Ocean....
, 1865, 197.6 ft. x 33.7 ft. x 21 ft., 886 tons net, built by Robert Steel & Co, GreenockGreenockGreenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in United Kingdom, and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...
. Richard 'Dickie' Robinson of Workington was appointed captain. Robinson had already won three tea races as the commander of Fiery Cross, before placing a disappointing fourth in The Great Tea Race of 1866The Great Tea Race of 1866The Great Tea Race of 1866 was an unofficial competition between the fastest clipper ships of the China tea trade to bring the season's first crop of tea to London in 1866....
which was won in 106 days. Captain Robinson won the race a further two times with Sir Lancelot. On his final passage in 1869, he came home in 89 days, a record that still stands to this day. In 1895 under Persian ownership, she was rumoured to have sank on 1 October during a cyclone near Sand Heads, Calcutta whilst on passage from the Red SeaRed SeaThe Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
loaded with salt. - Snow Squall, 1851. Small clipper, 800 tons, built for the China trade. Largest surviving piece of an American extreme clipperExtreme clipperAn extreme clipper is a clipper designed to sacrifice cargo capacity for speed. They had a bow lengthened above the water, a drawing out and sharpening of the forward body, and the greatest breadth further aft. Extreme clippers were built in the period 1845 to 1855.-Medium and extreme clippers:From...
, was used as a dock in Port Stanley Falkland Islands. 19 feet of her bow is now in S Portland, ME in a purpose-built museum. - Sovereign of the SeasSovereign of the Seas (clipper)The Sovereign of the Seas, a clipper ship built in 1852, was a sailing vessel notable for setting the 1854 world record for fastest sailing ship-- 22 knots.Sovereign of the Seas has held this record for over 100 years.-Notable passages:...
, 1852, 258 ft, the fastest and longest ship yet built when she was launched in New York, designed and built by Donald Mackay, America's foremost clipper designer. On her maiden voyage, she sailed New York to San Francisco in 103 days. This ship achieved the fastest ever recorded speed of a sailing vessel (22 knots). - Stad AmsterdamStad AmsterdamThe Stad Amsterdam is a three-masted clipper that was built in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in 2000 at the Damen Oranjewerf....
, 2000, clipper, built for the RandstadRandstadImage:Randstad_with_scale.png|400px|thumb|right|Clickable schematic map of the Randstadcircle 528 380 26 Schipholrect 426 356 498 436 Haarlemmermeerrect 399 166 479 245 Velsencircle 250 716 32 Delftcircle 220 642 60 The Hague...
and the City of AmsterdamAmsterdamAmsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. - StagStag (barque)Stag was a barque built in Nova Scotia which was renowned for her speed. Designed by a pioneering Canadian naval architect named Ebenezer Mosley, Stag was built with a dramatic "Aberdeen bow"...
, 1854, built in LaHave, Nova ScotiaLaHave, Nova ScotiaLaHave was once the capital of Acadia/ Nova Scotia and is now a small scenic village located on Highway 331 at the mouth of the LaHave River in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia, across the river from Riverport and approximately 15 kilometres from the town of Bridgewater.- French Colony :LaHave was the...
, known for her dramatic Aberdeen bow and fast Atlantic passages. - Stag HoundStag Hound-Performance:On many of her voyages, the ship did not meet with favorable winds; nevertheless "in moderate breezes she was conceded to be a very fast ship and in strong winds frequently logged 16 and 17 knots. Her best day’s run ... was 358 miles."...
, 1850, extreme clipper, designed by Donald McKay and built in Boston. When it was built, it was the largest vessel in the American merchant marine; the record did not last long. - SweepstakesSweepstakes (clipper)The Sweepstakes was an 1853 clipper ship in the California trade. She was known for a record passage from New York to Bombay, and for a race around the Horn with three other clippers.-Record set, New York to Bombay:...
, 1853, clipper built by Westervelt & McKay, held the record for the New York-Bombay run. - SyrenSyren (clipper)The Syren was the longest lived of all the clipper ships, with a sailing life of 68 years 7 months. She sailed in the San Francisco trade, in the Far East, and transported whaling products from Hawaii and the Arctic to New Bedford....
, 1851, extreme clipper, the longest lived of all the clipper ships, at 68 years 7 months. Syren sailed in the San Francisco trade, in the Far East, and transported whaling products from Hawaii and the Arctic to New Bedford. - TayleurRMS TayleurThe RMS Tayleur was a fully rigged iron clipper chartered by the White Star Line. She was large, fast and technically advanced. She ran aground and sank on her maiden voyage in 1854. The sinking was caused both by an inexperienced crew and faulty equipment. Of more than 650 aboard, only 290...
, 1854. Designed by William Rennie of Liverpool and built for owners Charles Moore & Company. - Taitsing, 1865, composite clipper, 192 ft. x 31.5 ft. x 20.15 ft., built by Charles Connell & Co, GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. - ThermopylaeThermopylae (clipper)Thermopylae was an extreme composite clipper ship built in 1868 by Walter Hood & Co of Aberdeen, to the design of Bernard Weymouth of London.-Construction:...
, 1868. A composite clipper ship built by Walter Hood & Co of Aberdeen to the design of Bernard Weymouth of London for the White Star Line of Aberdeen. - TiconderogaTiconderoga (clipper)Ticonderoga was a 169 feet 4 masted clipper displacing 1,089 tons, launched in 1849 at Williamsburg, New York. The Ticonderoga was infamous for its "fever ship" voyage in 1852 from Liverpool to Port Phillip carrying 795 passengers, arriving on the 22nd December 1852. It was a double-decker ship,...
, 1849. A 169 ft. 4-masted clipper displacing 1,089 tons, launched at Williamsburg, New York. The Ticonderoga was infamous for its "fever ship" voyage in 1852 from Liverpool to Port Phillip carrying 795 passengers. 100 passengers died during the voyage of what was later determined to have been typhus. - WitchcraftWitchcraft (clipper)The Witchcraft was a clipper built in 1850 for the California and China trade. She made record passages from Rio de Janeiro to San Francisco, and from San Francisco to Callao, Peru.-Construction:...
, 1850. A clipper ship built by Paul CurtisPaul Curtis (shipbuilder)Paul Curtis was an American shipbuilder who built ships in Medford, Massachusetts .-Background:Shipbuilding was one of the two big businesses at Medford in the mid-19th century...
and Mr. Taylor, and designed by Samuel Hartt PookSamuel Hartt PookSamuel Hartt Pook was a Boston-based American naval architect noted for designing very fast clipper ships.-Clipper ships:...
. - Witch of the WaveWitch of the Wave (clipper)Witch of the Wave was a long-lived extreme clipper in the California trade, with a sailing life of over 34 years. She held the record passage from Calcutta to Boston.-Construction:...
, 1851, extreme clipper, built by George Raynes, Portsmouth, NH. She held the record passage from Calcutta to Boston, and sailed for over 30 years. - Young AmericaYoung America (clipper)The Young America was built by William H. Webb of New York. She was launched in 1853, at the height of the clipper construction boom. She sailed in the California trade, on transatlantic routes, and made voyages to Australia and the Far East....
, 1853. Built by William Webb of New York.