How great tea race from China whipped up a frenzy 150 years ago
Five of the fastest, most beautiful ships of the day – along with their rock-star skippers – made the nail-biting journey from Fuzhou to London, eagerly followed by the world’s press and more than a few gamblers
There is eager anticipation in yachting circles following the announcement that the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race will include a stopover in Hong Kong, but even this prestigious event is unlikely to come close to matching the greatest sailing contest of all time, which started in southern China and concluded with great drama in London, 150 years ago this week.
“It is probable that no race ever sailed on blue water created so much excitement as the great tea race of 1866,” wrote the late maritime writer Basil Lubbock.
Capturing international media attention and enthralling the public, the race that year to deliver the first tea of the season, which began in Fuzhou on May 28, had all the danger, speed and speculative frenzy of a Grand National.
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“Every man with a nautical cut to his jib had a bet upon the result, whilst the rival owners, agents and shippers wagered huge sums,” wrote Lubbock, and that meant a lot of money changing hands in Hong Kong.
The race pitted the fastest and most beautiful sailing ships ever built against one another as they vied to win the 10 shillings per ton premium offered by the city’s merchants for the first Chinese tea of the season delivered to the London markets. Commanded and crewed by the most skilled professional seamen of the day, these graceful tea clippers raced some 16,000 nautical miles to the British capital for big cash prizes and a place in the history books.