One of the most famous sailing ships of the nineteenth century,the Cutty Sark,
cand still be seen at Greenwich.She stands on dry land and is visited by thousands
of people each year.She serves as an impressive reminder to the great ships of the
past.Before they were replaced by steamships,sailing vessels like the Cutty Sark were
used to carry tea from China and wool from Australia.The Cutty Sark was one of the
fastest sailing ships that has ever been built.The only other ship to match her was the
Thermopylae.Both these ships set out from Shanghai on June 18th,1872 on an exciting
race to England.This race,which went on for exactly four months,was the last of its kind.
It marked the end of the great tradition of ships with sails and the begingning of a new
era.
The first of the two ships to reach Jave after the race and begun was the Termopylae,
but on the Indian Ocean,the Cutty Sark took the lead.I seemed certain that she would
be the first ship home,but during the race she had a lot of bad luck.In August,she was
struck by a very heavy storm during which her rudder was torn away.The Cutty Sark
rolled from side to side and it became impossible to steer her.A temporary rudder
was made on board from spare planks and it was travelled too quickly,this rudder
would be torn away as well.Because of this,the Cutty Sark lost her lead.After crossing the
Equator,the captain called in at a port to have a new rudder fitted,but by now the
Thermopylae was over five hundred mile ahead.Though the new rudder was fitted at
tremendous speed,it was impossible for the Cutty Sark to win.She arrived in England
a week after the Thermopylae.Even this was remarkable,considering that she had had
so many delays.There is no doubt that if she had not lost her rudder she would have
won the race easily.