Engineering:Sovereign of the Seas (clipper)
 Sovereign of the Seas
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| History | |
|---|---|
 United States
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| Builder: | Donald McKay of East Boston, MA |
| Launched: | 1852 |
| Fate: | Ran aground on the Pyramid Shoal in the Strait of Malacca, becoming a total loss, on voyage from Hamburg to China, 6 August 1859[1](p97) |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Extreme clipper |
| Tons burthen: | 2421 tons. |
| Length: | 252 ft (77 m) |
| Beam: | 45.6 ft (13.9 m) |
| Draft: | 29.2 ft (8.9 m) |
| Notes: | Has held the record for the fastest speed ever for a sailing ship, 22 kn (41 km/h), since 1854 |
Sovereign of the Seas, a clipper ship built in 1852, was a sailing vessel notable for setting the world record for the fastest sailing ship, with a speed of 22 knots (41 km/h).[2][lower-alpha 1]
Notable passages
Built by Donald McKay of East Boston, Massachusetts, Sovereign of the Seas was the first ship to travel more than 400 nautical miles (740 kilometres) in 24 hours.[3] On the second leg of her maiden voyage, she made a record passage from Honolulu, Hawaii, to New York City in 82 days. She then broke the record to Liverpool, England, making the passage in 13 days 13 1⁄2 hours. In 1853 she was chartered by James Baines of the Black Ball Line, Liverpool for the Australia trade.
Record
In 1854, Sovereign of the Seas recorded the fastest speed for a sailing ship, logging 22 knots (41 km/h).[2]
See also
- Donald McKay
- List of large sailing vessels
- Transatlantic sailing record
Notes
- ↑ Note that this is a very specific record. It applies to a ship in the most literal sense, a three masted, square rigged, sailing vessel. It has been far exceeded by multi-hulled sailing craft and modern monohulls.
References
- ↑ MacGregor, David R (1993). British and American Clippers: A Comparison of their Design, Construction and Performance. London: Conway Maritime Press Limited. ISBN 0-85177-588-8.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Octavius T. Howe; Frederick G. Matthews (1986). American Clipper Ships 1833-1858. 1. New York. ISBN 0-486-25115-2. https://archive.org/details/americanclippers0000howe.
- ↑ "San Francisco Commerce, Past, Present and Future". Overland Monthly and Out West Magazine: p. 370. April 1888. https://books.google.com/books?id=eqJBAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA370.
Further reading
- Lyon, Jane D (1962). Clipper Ships and Captains. New York: American Heritage Publishing.
External links
- Sovereign of the Seas, Springfield Museum, Currier and Ives lithograph
- Painting of clipper ship Sovereign of the Seas, San Francisco Public Library
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