Although the Flying Cloud was designed and built for Enoch Train of the White Diamond Packets, he sold her on the stocks (before her launch in 1851) to the Swallow Tail Line, much to his everlasting regret.

In her maiden voyage she set the record for the shortest passage around the horn at 89 days. From the Pacific Coast she sped to China for a load of tea after reaching Honolulu in only 12 days! She made the passage from Macao back to New York in 96 days! For her first five voyages on the New York to San Francisco run, she set a record average of 101 days, which was never broken during the golden age of sail. This was one of the fastest sailing ships ever built.

In 1859, the Flying Cloud was sold into the England-China tea trade, and later she entered into the Queens land emigrant service, carrying settlers to Australia. In the early 1870's, the Black Ball Line for the North Atlantic timber industry bought her, and after going aground in 1874, she caught fire in a dockyard and was broken up for metal.

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