Clippers might just be the last masterpiece of the sailing ships. The name comes from the long, narrow and straight sides, high masts, huge sails, and fast speed. Clippers were made for ocean sailing and, because they could not carry much cargo, were used to carry high-value cargo like silk, tea and opium.

The Cutty Sark was one of the most famous clippers. Her 85-meter-long hull was comprised of teak planks that were fixed over an iron frame. The sails took up an area of up to 2,972m². With a speed of up to 17 knots, she completed her maiden voyage in 1870 from London to Shanghai in three-and-a-half months, which made her the fastest ship on Eurasian routes at that time.

When the Suez Canal inaugurated in 1869 that Clippers could not reliably pass through its waters but steamships could make the trip. The steamships were able to transport tea from China to England in just 60 days via the Suez Canal. The operation of the Suez Canal and the rise of steamships forced clippers to retired from this route. The Cutty Sark is now a museum ship preserved in dry dock in Greenwich, London.