The Cutty Sark, a surviving 19th century tea clipper and a major London tourist attraction was seriously damaged by a (possibly deliberate) fire when undergoing a £25m or US$49million restoration.Built in 1869 by the Scott and Linton firm in Dumbarton, western Scotland, the Cutty Sark was one of the last tea clippers to be launched.
Notable performances included 360 nautical miles in 24 hours, or an average of 15 knots, the best speed for any ship of its size, and racing back from Shanghai to London in 122 days.
As the tea trade was later taken over by steamers using the Suez Canal route, the Cutty Sark turned to general trading and transporting wool from Australia, which included one exceptional passage of 67 days.
It was put into dry dock in Greenwich in 1954. Link | An aerial image showing the extent of the damage
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