19th c. American clipper ship
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[1]: 97 |
| General characteristics |
|---|
| Class and type | Extreme clipper |
| Tons burthen | 2421 tons. |
| Length | 252 ft. (76.8m) |
| Beam | 45.6 ft. (13.9m) |
| Draft | 29.2 ft. (8.9m) |
| Notes | Has held the record for the fastest speed ever for a sailing ship, 22 knots (41 km/h, 25 mph), since 1854 |
Sovereign of the Seas, a clipper ship built in 1852, was a sailing vessel notable for setting the world record for fastest sailing ship—22 knots.[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 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 13.5 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, 25 mph).[2]
