May 22 2007
Guardian G2
"There's been a fire," a policewoman explained yesterday as she diverted drivers away from Greenwich.
Richard Doughty, the Cutty Sark Trust chief executive, was told by Radio 4 that the ship - a London landmark - had burned down. He was almost in tears.
Old sailing ships inspire passion like nothing else. But what's so special about this one?
Launched in 1869, Cutty Sark was the fastest, sleekest ship of its time. Its cleverly designed hull meant it could be pushed harder than anything before. And, although its original function as a tea clipper sailing to China and back was made redundant by steamships and the Suez canal, it enjoyed a decade of success as the fastest boat on the wool run between Sydney and London.
Designed to last only 30 years, the ship was over 50 when she was rescued and restored by a Cornish sailor, Captain Wilfred Dowman, in 1922. He had never forgotten the sight of it as it sliced past him at full sail in 1894. Eventually the ship came to rest in Greenwich, where it has sat since 1953.
"Its preservation in the 1950s captivated the nation," says the Cutty Sark Trust's Steven Archer. "Britain was on its knees, and the Duke of Edinburgh said, 'Let's save this ship.' It symbolised the country's maritime history and engineering prowess."
The Queen opened it in 1957, an event broadcast live on TV to a nation hungry for good news.
But 50 years in dry dock means 50 years slowly collapsing. A £25m campaign to stop the rot was launched in 2000. Work started this year, so half the ship was elsewhere when the fire took hold. A saving grace, perhaps - restoration is still possible.
"It has been rescued twice before," says Doughty. "This will be third time lucky."
Guardian G2
"There's been a fire," a policewoman explained yesterday as she diverted drivers away from Greenwich.
Richard Doughty, the Cutty Sark Trust chief executive, was told by Radio 4 that the ship - a London landmark - had burned down. He was almost in tears.
Old sailing ships inspire passion like nothing else. But what's so special about this one?
Launched in 1869, Cutty Sark was the fastest, sleekest ship of its time. Its cleverly designed hull meant it could be pushed harder than anything before. And, although its original function as a tea clipper sailing to China and back was made redundant by steamships and the Suez canal, it enjoyed a decade of success as the fastest boat on the wool run between Sydney and London.
Designed to last only 30 years, the ship was over 50 when she was rescued and restored by a Cornish sailor, Captain Wilfred Dowman, in 1922. He had never forgotten the sight of it as it sliced past him at full sail in 1894. Eventually the ship came to rest in Greenwich, where it has sat since 1953.
"Its preservation in the 1950s captivated the nation," says the Cutty Sark Trust's Steven Archer. "Britain was on its knees, and the Duke of Edinburgh said, 'Let's save this ship.' It symbolised the country's maritime history and engineering prowess."
The Queen opened it in 1957, an event broadcast live on TV to a nation hungry for good news.
But 50 years in dry dock means 50 years slowly collapsing. A £25m campaign to stop the rot was launched in 2000. Work started this year, so half the ship was elsewhere when the fire took hold. A saving grace, perhaps - restoration is still possible.
"It has been rescued twice before," says Doughty. "This will be third time lucky."
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