HMS Cordelia was an 11-gun Racer-class sloop of the Royal Navy launched in 1856 and sold in 1870.

Built of a traditional wooden construction, the Racer class were a lengthened version of the Swallow-class sloop,[Note 1] which in turn had been intended as "type of screw vessel below the Cruizer".

The extra length gave greater speed, and combined with a considerable increase in power, this gave a speed of about 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph), rather more than the 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) of the previous class.

[2] Propulsion was provided by a James Watt & Co two-cylinder horizontal single-expansion steam engine developing 461 indicated horsepower (344 kW) and driving a single screw.

[1] Cordelia was laid down at Pembroke Dockyard in October 1855 and launched on 3 July 1856.