Lot Essay
Red Jacket and Lightning were both amongst that select group of American-built clippers which, like their British contemporaries, achieved almost legendary status in their own lifetimes.
Red Jacket, designed by Samuel Pook, was built at Rockland, Maine, in 1853 and registered at 2,460 tons. Clearing New York on her maiden voyage on 11 January 1854, she made Liverpool in an astonishing 13 days, 1 hour and 25 minutes, dock to dock, a record which still stands for the fastest Atlantic crossing by a full-rigged sailing ship. Her reputation made, she was immediately chartered by the White Star Line for their fast Australian passenger service and turned in near-record runs on her first trips out and home. White Star thereupon bough her and she continued on the Australian route until the mid-1860's, after which she worked the timber trade between Quebec and London before eventually ending her days as a coal hulk in the Cape Verde Islands.
Lightning was built for the Black Ball Line of Australia packets by Donald McKay at East Boston in 1853. Launched in January 1854, she crossed to Liverpool the next month and then went out to Melbourne in 77 days. Returning home in a heady 64 days with a full passenger list and a cargo of #1 million in gold bullion, she too became renowned for her speedy passage times and was one of those clippers chartered to rush troops to India following the outbreak of the Mutiny in 1857. Retaining her popularity despite the growing competition from steam throughout the 1860's, she caught fire at the dockside in Melbourne on 31 October 1869 and was scuttled in the harbour there in an attempt to save her cargo.
Red Jacket, designed by Samuel Pook, was built at Rockland, Maine, in 1853 and registered at 2,460 tons. Clearing New York on her maiden voyage on 11 January 1854, she made Liverpool in an astonishing 13 days, 1 hour and 25 minutes, dock to dock, a record which still stands for the fastest Atlantic crossing by a full-rigged sailing ship. Her reputation made, she was immediately chartered by the White Star Line for their fast Australian passenger service and turned in near-record runs on her first trips out and home. White Star thereupon bough her and she continued on the Australian route until the mid-1860's, after which she worked the timber trade between Quebec and London before eventually ending her days as a coal hulk in the Cape Verde Islands.
Lightning was built for the Black Ball Line of Australia packets by Donald McKay at East Boston in 1853. Launched in January 1854, she crossed to Liverpool the next month and then went out to Melbourne in 77 days. Returning home in a heady 64 days with a full passenger list and a cargo of #1 million in gold bullion, she too became renowned for her speedy passage times and was one of those clippers chartered to rush troops to India following the outbreak of the Mutiny in 1857. Retaining her popularity despite the growing competition from steam throughout the 1860's, she caught fire at the dockside in Melbourne on 31 October 1869 and was scuttled in the harbour there in an attempt to save her cargo.