Sovereign of the Seas (clipper)

	Sovereign of the Seas
History
United States
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
General characteristics
Class & 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]^[a]

Notable passages

Drawing of *Sovereign of the Seas* from a 1910 book

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]

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.
^ ^a ^b Octavius T. Howe; Frederick G. Matthews (1986). American Clipper Ships 1833-1858. Vol. 1. New York. ISBN 0-486-25115-2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^ "San Francisco Commerce, Past, Present and Future". Overland Monthly and Out West Magazine. April 1888. p. 370. Retrieved 23 December 2016.

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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[3] 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.

[MacGregor_1993-1] 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.

[howe-2] Octavius T. Howe; Frederick G. Matthews (1986). American Clipper Ships 1833-1858. Vol. 1. New York. ISBN 0-486-25115-2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

[4] "San Francisco Commerce, Past, Present and Future". Overland Monthly and Out West Magazine. April 1888. p. 370. Retrieved 23 December 2016.

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v t e Clipper ships
Baltimore Clipper Extreme clipper Medium clipper List of clippers List of people who sailed on clipper ships Clipper route
1840s	Anglona Houqua Memnon Rainbow Sea Witch Ticonderoga
1850–1852	Antelope of Boston Bald Eagle Carrier Pigeon Celestial Empire Challenge Challenger Comet Eastern State Flying Cloud Flying Fish Game Cock Golden South Golden West Harriet Hoxie Hippogriffe Hornet Hurricane Ino John Gilpin Marco Polo National Eagle N.B. Palmer Nightingale North American Northern Light Onward Race Horse Sea Nymph Sea Serpent Shooting Star Snow Squall Sovereign of the Seas Stag Hound Stornoway Surprise Swordfish Syren Westward Ho! Witch of the Wave Witchcraft
1853–1859	Andrew Jackson Belle of the West Blue Jacket Carrier Dove California Champion of the Seas Donald McKay Dreadnought Driver Duncan Dunbar Ganges Golden Fleece Golden State Gravina Great Republic Herald of the Morning James Baines King Philip Kingfisher Kosmopoliet Lammermuir Lightning Lookout Lord of the Isles Mary Robinson Mary Whitridge Mimosa Neptune's Car Newcastle Ocean Chief Ocean Telegraph Orient Red Jacket Robin Hood Royal Charter Santa Claus Scawfell Schomberg Stag Starlight Sunny South Sweepstakes Tayleur Tejuca Thatcher Magoun Wild Hunter White Swallow Windsor Castle Young America
1860s	Ambassador Ariel City of Adelaide Coonatto Cornwallis Cremorne Cutty Sark Fiery Cross Flying Spur Fusi Yama Kaisow Glory of the Seas Golden Spur Great Australia John R. Worcester Lahloo Lammermuir Leander Miako Norman Court Osaka Queen of Nations Seminole Serica Sir Lancelot South Australian Taeping Taitsing The Murray Thermopylae Sobraon Windhover Wylo Yatala
1870–1890s	Blackadder Cimba Cromdale Florence Hallowe'en Hereward Loch Ard Loch Vennachar Lothair Rodney Torrens
Modern	Cisne Branco Shabab Oman II Stad Amsterdam Type 2630 training ship
Related	Alfred Bulltop Stormalong