The Australian clipper ship Torrens under full sail

In the words of the noted authority on commercial sail, Basil Lubbock, "No vessel had a better record in the Australia trade than the wonderful Torrens". Built for Captain H.R. Angel by James Laing at Sunderland in 1875, she was registered at 1,335 tons gross and measured 222 feet in length with a 38 foot beam. A beautiful clipper, comparable with Cutty Sark and Thermopylae, she was probably the most favoured passenger ship on the London to Adelaide run and also proved exceedingly lucky. A splendid sea boat and remarkably dry even when racing along in bracing weather, her best-ever day's run was 370 miles in 1897 and her fastest passage, 64 days Plymouth - Adelaide, dock to dock, remains a record on that route for any sailing trader. After a hugely successful and very profitable career in British registry, she was sold to Italian owners soon after 1900. Twice run ashore within five years, on the second occasion in 1910 she was once again salvaged but deemed too damaged for further repairs and broken up.