Beginning of the end for tea clippers Great Tea Race of 1866

as ariel, fiery cross , other clippers left foochow @ end of may 1866, steam auxiliary erl king loading 1,108,100 pounds of tea - sailed on 5 june, 7 days after fiery cross. coaled @ mauritius on 27 june, 22 days later, ahead of clippers had left before her, , arrived in london on 22 august, 78 days after sailing - taking 77 days on passage, plus 1 day of coaling. in london 15 days before first of clippers. taeping, noted above, took 99 days china london. newspapers, particularly in glasgow (where many steamships built) , liverpool commented steam take on carrying tea china.

the same news reports commented on ss agamemnon, true steamer, opposed auxiliary erl king. agamemnon had completed record outward passage of 65 days , on return trip large cargo of tea. consumed 20 tons of coal day @ 10 knots, substantially better fuel economy other contemporary steamships - saving of between 23 , 14 tons per day. confidence of owners such that, before proving profitability of agamemnon in service, building 2 sister ships, achilles (1866) , ajax (1867).

the opening of suez canal in 1869 gave distance saving of 3,300 nm on route china london. whilst possible sailing vessel take tug through canal, difficult , expensive. furthermore, sailing conditions in northern red sea unsuited design of tea clipper. still had sail around africa. when tea clippers arrived in china in 1870, found big increase in number of steamers, in high demand. rate of freight london given steamers twice paid sailing ships. additionally, insurance premium cargo of tea in steamer substantially cheaper in sailing vessel. successful steamers using suez canal that, in 1871, 45 built in clyde shipyards alone far eastern trade. numbers on route increased, clippers had elsewhere work. costs had kept minimum - fewer , less skilled crew carried. many ships had rig reduced barque smaller crew needed. last race between tea clippers catch public attention between thermopylae , cutty sark in 1872.