Thermopylae (clipper)

Thermopylae was an extreme composite clipper ship built in 1868 by Walter Hood & Co of Aberdeen to the design of Bernard Weymouth of London for the White Star Line of Aberdeen.

She measured 212'0"×36'0"×20'9" and tonnage 991 GRT, 948 NRT and 927 tons under deck. The under deck coefficient was 0,58. Rigged with royal sails, single topgallant and double top-sails.


She was designed for the China tea trade, and set speed records on her maiden voyage to Melbourne -- 63 days, still the fastest trip under sail. In 1872 she raced the clipper Cutty Sark from Shanghai back to London and won by seven days after the Cutty Sark lost her rudder. In 1895 she was sold to Portugal and used as a naval training ship. The Portuguese Navy torpedoed her at sea in 1906.

Other Clipper Ships


Clipper Ships, Designers & Builders
British-built Clippers
Ariel | Blackadder | Cutty Sark | Leander | Hallowe'en | Lothair | Norman Court | Sir Lancelot | Tayleur | Thermopylae | Tsaitsing
American-built Clippers
Champion of the Seas | Flying Cloud | Lightning | Sovereign of the Seas
British Designers and Builders
Hercules Linton | Scott & Linton
American Designers and Builders
Donald McKay

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See also: Thermopylae (clipper), 1868, 1872, 1895, 1906, Aberdeen, Ariel (clipper), Blackadder (clipper), Champion of the Seas