Cutty Sark — 1869 British Tea Clipper Model (31 in / 79 cm, Full Sails, Western Red Cedar & Mahogany)
Cutty Sark — 1869 British Tea Clipper Model (31 in / 79 cm, Full Sails, Western Red Cedar & Mahogany)
How big is it?
Length about 79 cm / 31.1 in, height about 73 cm. Drawn to scale; the model outline is a simplified shape.
Model details
- Size
- 31 in / 79 cm
- Materials
- Mahogany, Western red cedar, Brass
- Construction
- Plank-on-frame, built by hand
- Condition
- Fully assembled, ready to display
- Display
- Wooden base with brass nameplate
- Collection
- Tall Ship Models - Admiral Line
- Item no.
- T375C
The tea clipper caught mid-passage — sails bellied out and drawing, the hull heeled into it. Most models sit still. This one doesn't.
The curved sail set is what makes it. Each sail is cut and stitched to hold a full, wind-filled shape rather than hanging flat, which means the sailmaker is sculpting fabric rather than just cutting it. Paired with a natural wood hull, the effect is a ship at speed rather than a ship at anchor.
Specification
- 31 in / 79 cm
- Plank-on-frame hull in western red cedar and mahogany, natural finish
- Full curved sail set, hand-stitched
- Complete hand-knotted standing and running rigging
- Deck detail: cabins, hatches, lifeboats, railings and fittings
- Solid wood base with engraved brass nameplate
- Fully assembled
The ship
Launched at Dumbarton in 1869 to win the China tea race, Cutty Sark was outflanked by the Suez Canal within weeks and made her name in Australian wool instead — London in 73 days at her best, regularly beating steamers over the same route. Her name comes from Burns's Tam o' Shanter: the short shift worn by the witch Nannie, who appears as the figurehead. She is preserved at Greenwich, the last tea clipper on earth.