''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 Fuzhou to London with over a million pounds (500 tons) of tea in 1868.

Construction

''Lahloo'' was of the same class and sharpness as ''Ariel'', "with more deadrise and

tumblehome Tumblehome is a term describing a hull which grows narrower above the waterline than its beam. The opposite of tumblehome is flare. A small amount of tumblehome is normal in many naval architecture designs in order to allow any small projecti ...

and a slightly fuller run".She was designed by William Steele, had a

composite Composite or compositing may refer to: Materials * Composite material, a material that is made from several different substances ** Metal matrix composite, composed of metal and other parts ** Cermet, a composite of ceramic and metallic materials ...

hull, and carried Cunningham's roller-reefing

topsail A topsail ("tops'l") 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 typically trapezoidal shaped sail rigged above the course sail and ...

Voyages

* Fuzhou to

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

**101 days, 1868 **101 days, 1869 (via the "Eastern Passage" out of the China Sea) **111 days, 1871 *London to

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flowin ...

**98 days (95 days pilot to pilot), 1869

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 Launcelot'', 102 days; Leander, 103 days; ''Thermopylae'', 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 Sark ''Cutty Sark'' is a British clipper ship. Built on the River Leven, Dumbarton, Scotland in 1869 for the Jock Willis Shipping Line, she was one of the last tea clippers to be built and one of the fastest, coming at the end of a long period ...

'', 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."

Sailing performance

According to Lubbock, the tea clippers ''Lahloo'', '' Fiery Cross'', '' Taeping'' and ''

Serica Serica (, grc, Σηρικά) was one of the easternmost countries of Asia known to the Ancient Greek and Roman geographers. It is generally taken as referring to North China during its Zhou, Qin, and Han dynasties, as it was reached via ...

'' performed at their best in light breezes, as they were all rigged with single

s. The photograph at the beginning of this article shows Lahloo rigged with double topsails. The photograph is believed to date from the early 1870sshe was built with single topsails and it is not clear when the change was made.

Loss of the ship

''Lahloo'' was wrecked on Sandalwood Island, Sunda Islands, on 31 July 1872 whilst on a voyage from Shanghai to London with tea. Her crew survived.

Notes

References

External links

Lahloo Tea
company founded by great-great granddaughter of a man who sailed on the ship
Description of the Tea Race of 1871Lithograph of ''Lahloo''Betting on ''Lahloo'' for upcoming Tea RaceAccount of 1868 Tea RaceAccount of the wreck of ''Lahloo''
{{1872 shipwrecks Tea clippers Individual sailing vessels Victorian-era merchant ships of the United Kingdom Ships built on the River Clyde Vanua Levu Shipwrecks in the Pacific Ocean Maritime incidents in July 1872 1867 ships