One of the world’s most famous ships, the Dumbarton-built Cutty Sark, has celebrated the 150th anniversary of her launch with a series of events at her berth at Greenwich in London.
The ship, the last surviving Victorian tea clipper, was launched at the William Denny shipyard on the River Leven on November 22, 1869, and embarked on a life of adventure that took her around the world.
The Cutty Sark is now an award winning visitor attraction at the Royal Maritime Museum which offered free entry to any Dumbarton residents visiting London during the ship’s anniversary celebrations.
On her first official voyage, she carried large amounts of wine, spirits and beer and came back from Shanghai loaded with 1.3 million pounds of tea.
She was one of the world’s fastest ships, reaching speeds of 17 knots thanks to more than 11 miles of rigging and an original sail area of 32,000 square feet across 32 sails.
During her life she survived various mishaps, including a devastating fire in 2007, but funding worth millions of pounds from The Cutty Sark Maritime Trust aims to preserve the 280ft long vessel for at least the next 50 years.
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In an interview with the Reporter this week, the Cutty Sark’s curator, Louise Macfarlane, paid tribute to the skills of the shipyard workers who built her all those years ago.
She said: “Clipper ships were built to last a maximum of 30 years and yet Cutty Sark is still here, 150 years later.
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