clipper ship

clipper (def. 4).

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Classic sailing ship of the 19th century, renowned for its beauty, grace, and speed.

Apparently originating with the small, swift coastal packet known as the Baltimore clipper, the true clipper evolved first in the U.S. (с 1833) and later in Britain. It was a long, slim, graceful vessel with a projecting bow, a streamlined hull, and an exceptionally large spread of sail on three tall masts. Clippers carried tea from China and goldminers to California. Famous clippers included the American Flying Cloud and the British Cutty Sark. Though much faster than the early steamships (already in use when the clipper appeared), they were eventually outrun by improved steamship models and largely disappeared from commercial use in the 1870s.

The clipper Flying Cloud

By courtesy of the Peabody Museum, Salem, Mass.

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▪ sailing vessel

 classic sailing ship of the 19th century, renowned for its beauty, grace, and speed. Apparently starting from the small, swift coastal packet known as the Baltimore clipper, the true clipper evolved first in American and later in British yards. In its ultimate form it was a long, slim, graceful vessel with projecting bow and radically streamlined hull, carrying an exceptionally large spread of sail on three tall masts. The emphasis on speed came partly from the desire to bring the first tea of the season back from China, partly from the competition with the overland route across North America to the California goldfields. The Flying Cloud, launched in 1851, made the voyage from New York City to San Francisco in a record 89 days, and the James Baines set the transatlantic sailing record of 12 days 6 h from Boston to Liverpool, Eng. The Lightning set the all-time record for a single day's sail, covering 436 nautical miles in 24 h. The Lightning and the James Baines (both launched in 1854 or 1855), as well as the Flying Cloud, were built by Donald McKay (McKay, Donald), a Canadian-born shipbuilder, at his shipyard at East Boston, Mass.

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