Lahloo (clipper)
Encyclopedia
The Lahloo was a British Tea Clipper
known for winning the Tea Race of 1870, and finishing second in the Tea Race of 1871. She sailed from Foochow to London with over a million pounds (500 tons) of tea in 1868.
, "with more deadrise and tumblehome
and a slightly fuller run." She was designed by William Steele, had a composite
hull, and carried Cunningham's roller-reefing
topsail
s.
, 102 days; Leander
, 103 days; Thermopylae
, 106 days."
, 110 days, and Forward Ho, 118 days. This was about the last of the tea clipper racing, for the combined competition of steam and the Suez Canal
proved too powerful for sail. No more tea clippers were built after 1869; by degrees these beautiful vessels were driven into other trades; and so the Clipper Ship Era drifted into history."
, Taeping
and Serica
performed at their best in light breezes, as they were all rigged with single topsail
s.
The Lahloo was wrecked on Sandalwood Island
, Sunda Islands, on July 31 1872 (photograph states July 30), on a voyage from Shanghai to London with tea.
Clipper
A clipper was a very fast sailing ship of the 19th century that had three or more masts and a square rig. They were generally narrow for their length, could carry limited bulk freight, small by later 19th century standards, and had a large total sail area...
known for winning the Tea Race of 1870, and finishing second in the Tea Race of 1871. She sailed from Foochow to London with over a million pounds (500 tons) of tea in 1868.
Construction
Lahloo was of the same class and sharpness as ArielAriel (clipper)
Ariel was a clipper ship famous for making fast voyages between China and England in the late 1860s.Ariel was a full rigged ship of 853 tons net register, measuring x 33.9 feet x . She was designed by William Rennie, and built in 1865 by Robert Steele & Co., Greenock for Shaw, Lowther & Maxton of...
, "with more deadrise and tumblehome
Tumblehome
In ship designing, the tumblehome is the narrowing of a ship's hull with greater distance above the water-line. Expressed more technically, it is present when the beam at the uppermost deck is less than the maximum beam of the vessel....
and a slightly fuller run." She was designed by William Steele, had a composite
Composite ship
The technique of composite ship construction emerged in the mid-19th century as the final stage in the evolution of fast commercial sailing ships....
hull, and carried Cunningham's roller-reefing
Reefing
Reefing is a sailing manoeuvre intended to reduce the area of a sail on a sailboat or sailing ship, which can improve the ship's stability and reduce the risk of capsizing, broaching, or damaging sails or boat hardware in a strong wind...
topsail
Topsail
A topsail is a sail set above another sail; on square-rigged vessels further sails may be set above topsails.- Square rig :On a square rigged vessel, a topsail is a square sail rigged above the course sail and below the topgallant sail where carried...
s.
Voyages
- FoochowFuzhouFuzhou is the capital and one of the largest cities in Fujian Province, People's Republic of China. Along with the many counties of Ningde, those of Fuzhou are considered to constitute the Mindong linguistic and cultural area....
to LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
- 101 days, 1868
- 101 days, 1869
- 111 days, 1871
- London to ShanghaiShanghaiShanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
- 98 days (95 days pilot to pilot)
Won the Tea Race of 1870
"The race of 1870 from Foo-chow to London was won by the Lahloo in 97 days, the other vessels being: the Windhover, 100 days; Sir LauncelotSir Lancelot (clipper)
Sir Lancelot was a clipper ship which sailed in the China trade and the India-Mauritius trade.Built in 1865 by Robert Steele & Co, Greenock, Sir Lancelot was "a beautiful tea clipper" called the Yacht of the Indian Ocean....
, 102 days; Leander
Leander (clipper)
Leander was a composite built clipper ship. She was designed by Bernard Waymouth, and built in 1867 by J G Lawrie of Glasgow for Joseph Somes.-Ship history:...
, 103 days; Thermopylae
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.-Construction:...
, 106 days."
Finished second in the Tea Race of 1871
"In 1871 the Titania won in 93 days; the Lahloo, 111 days, from Foo-chow to London; and from Shanghai to London the Thermopylae was 106 days; Cutty SarkCutty Sark
The Cutty Sark is a clipper ship. Built in 1869, she served as a merchant vessel , and then as a training ship until being put on public display in 1954...
, 110 days, and Forward Ho, 118 days. This was about the last of the tea clipper racing, for the combined competition of steam and the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
proved too powerful for sail. No more tea clippers were built after 1869; by degrees these beautiful vessels were driven into other trades; and so the Clipper Ship Era drifted into history."
Sailing performance
According to Lubbock, the tea clippers Lahloo, Fiery CrossFiery Cross (clipper)
Fiery Cross was a famous British Tea Clipper which sailed in the Great Tea Race of 1866.-Tea trade:From 1860-1875, the ship sailed in the tea trade between London and Chinese ports like Hong Kong, Foochow, Canton, and Shanghai....
, Taeping
Taeping
The Taeping was a clipper ship built in 1863 by Robert Steele of Greenock. Taeping participated in The Great Tea Race of 1866 and narrowly defeated the Ariel...
and Serica
Serica (clipper)
The Serica was a clipper ship built in 1863 by Robert Steele & Co., at Greenock on the south bank of the Clyde, Scotland, for James Findlay.-Winner of 1864 Tea Race:Serica is Latin for "China"-- the ship was built expressly for the China tea trade...
performed at their best in light breezes, as they were all rigged with single topsail
Topsail
A topsail is a sail set above another sail; on square-rigged vessels further sails may be set above topsails.- Square rig :On a square rigged vessel, a topsail is a square sail rigged above the course sail and below the topgallant sail where carried...
s.
Loss of the ship
Vanua Levu
Vanua Levu , formerly known as Sandalwood Island, is the second largest island of Fiji. Located 64 kilometres to the north of the larger Viti Levu, the island has an area of 5,587.1 km² and a population of some 130,000.- Geography :...
, Sunda Islands, on July 31 1872 (photograph states July 30), on a voyage from Shanghai to London with tea.
External links
- Lahloo Tea, company founded by great-great granddaughter of a man who sailed on the ship
- Description of the Tea Race of 1871
- Lithograph of Lahloo
- Betting on Lahloo for upcoming Tea Race
- Account of 1868 Tea Race
- Account of the wreck of the Lahloo