SPITFIRE CLIPPER

Description

They were ultra fast, sleek and, for the time, represented the pinnacle of clipper design. Easily recognizable by the long, lean lines, raked masts and billowing acres of canvas, these ‘greyhounds’ of the ocean were the UPS of the day, carrying goods, often in record-breaking times, to and from the major trading hubs of the world.

This is one such typical scene from the short-lived history of America’s finest clippers. The Spitfire – now there’s name that will reappear in history – loads a valuable cargo of tea within the famous Pagoda Anchorage at Foochow, China in October 1857. The precious cargo had been carried down the Min River in distinctive Chinese sailing junks, and is already stowed because, in the distance, a steam tug approaches indicating she is almost ready to sail. The Spitfire’s destination is London, a voyage she will complete in 113 days.