Sovereign of the Seas (clipper)

For other ships of this name, see Sovereign of the Seas.

Sovereign of the Seas, a clipper ship built in 1852, was a sailing vessel notable for setting the world record for the fastest sailing ship, with a speed of 22 knots (41 km/h).^[2][a]

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 & type	Extreme clipper
Tons burthen	2421 tons.
Length	252 ft (77 m)
Beam	45.6 ft (13.9 m)
Draft	29.2 ft (8.9 m)
Notes	Has held the record for the fastest speed ever for a sailing ship, 22 kn (41 km/h), since 1854

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 (740 kilometres) 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+1⁄2 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).^[2]

See also

• Donald McKay
• List of large sailing vessels
• Transatlantic sailing record

Notes

1. Note that this is a very specific record. It applies to a ship in the most literal sense, a three-masted, square-rigged, sailing vessel. It has been far exceeded by multi-hulled sailing craft and modern monohulls.