Great Tea Race of 1866

In the middle third of the 19th century, the clippers which carried cargoes of tea from China to Britain would compete in informal races to be first ship to dock in London with the new crop of each season.

Given the close finish, and fearing that the consignees might find reason to avoid payment, the prize, or "premium", was claimed by Taeping but shared between them and Ariel, by agreement of their agents and owners.

[1]: 152  1866 was the last time that a premium was written into the bill of lading of a tea clipper for docking in London with the first of the new crop.

[2]: 122–123  Though clippers raced with cargoes of tea for a few more years, the only commercial advantage was in the reputation as a fast ship, thereby securing a better rate of freight in the future.

The auxiliary steamer Erl King had sailed from Fuzhou (Foochow) 8 days after Ariel, carrying both passengers and a cargo of tea.

[3] The SS Agamemnon, a much more fuel efficient ship than her contemporaries, had just made the fastest ever outward passage to China of 65 days and was on her way to London with a cargo of tea that was two or three times larger than a clipper could carry.

This would give a much shorter route (a reduction of about 3,250 nautical miles (6,020 km; 3,740 mi) or nearly a quarter less distance), so favouring the steamships, as the Canal was not a practical option for sailing vessels.

Note that the premium did not simply reward the fastest passage, since rapid loading of a cargo and a prompt departure were important factors.

[7][8] Many bets were placed on the outcome of the race, in London, Hong Kong, and the ports of Britain, and by the captains and crews of the vessels involved.

[2]: 235–236  Over the season, these sailed from several ports: Fuzhou, Hankou (Hankow), Shanghai, Wusong (Woosung), Canton and Hong Kong.

Between 150 and 200 tons of shingle was needed, and it was levelled to follow the curve of the deck above, at a distance precisely measured to be an exact number of tea chests.

[1] Ariel started to raise her anchor at 5 am on the 29th and with the paddle steamer Island Queen towing alongside, headed down-river for the sea.

The fast flowing River Min then presented problems for the under-powered tug as they met eddies and Ariel had to anchor to regain control of the situation.

Captain Keay's frustration was increased by Fiery Cross, with a more powerful tug and drawing significantly less, towing past her and getting out to sea.

[1] News reports of the start appeared in British newspapers from 11 June, when The Pall Mall Gazette carried a list of the first four starters, and names of the rest of the ships waiting to sail.

Many captains sailing for the Sunda Strait therefore chose to head westward to the coast of Annam (present day Vietnam) to pick up land breezes.

[1]: 145  Crossing to the Annam coast meant passing the Paracels, an area of low-lying islands and reefs which presented obvious dangers.

[1]: 147 Before Ariel had even crossed the bar of the Min River, Captain Keay had the crew working on the fore and aft trim of the ship, a process that continued for over two weeks.

There was no sign that Taeping would heave to, so Captain Keay ordered Ariel's sails to be filled to keep ahead of the other ship, to be sure of getting the first pilot.

Here luck was with Taeping, as the better tug put a towline aboard her, so she took the lead as they were towed round the coastline of Kent and into the Thames.

[1]: 150–151 Taeping arrived at Gravesend some 55 minutes before Ariel, but that gave her no advantage as both ships then had to wait for the tide to rise sufficiently.

[1]: 152 Fiery Cross was not far behind the first three - she sighted the Isle of Wight at 10:00 am on 7 September but, on arriving in the Downs, was compelled to anchor because the wind had now risen to gale force.

[1]: 153 The clippers that sailed at the beginning of the 1866/67 tea season had a premium of 10s per ton written into their bills of lading, payable, by the consignees, to the first ship to dock in London.

Newspapers, particularly in Glasgow (where many steamships were built) and Liverpool commented that steam would soon take over carrying tea from China.

[18] Agamemnon had just completed a record outward passage of 65 days and was on her return trip with a very large cargo of tea.

The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 gave a distance saving of about 3,250 nautical miles (6,020 km; 3,740 mi) on the route from China to London.

When the tea clippers arrived in China in 1870, they found a big increase in the number of steamers, which were in high demand.

Erl King was the first ship to carry a cargo of tea through the Suez Canal, arriving in London on 4 August 1870 after a passage of 61 days.

[23] Captain MacKinnon of Taeping was taken ill with rheumatic fever on his next outward passage and was put ashore in South Africa.

[2]: 122–123 Taitsing continued in the China trade, carrying her last cargo of tea in 1874/75 (101 days Fuzhou to New York).