Cutty Sark

The Cutty Sark is the most famous tea clipper built, and is the only one to survive. She is now in dry dock at Greenwich. Launched in 1869. she was the fastest ship in the race via the Cape of Good Hope for the tea trade with China. Unluckily for her owners, the Suez Canal was opened in the same year as her launch, which is not navigable by sailing ships. Her last cargo of tea was carried in 1877 and she was sold.

In 1922 she underwent a refit in the Surrey Docks, London, and was driven to shelter from a storm in Falmouth harbour on her way home. A Captain Wilfred Dowman saw her there, and bought her thus, returning her to British ownership again.