In 1869, Cutty Sark set out to be the best clipper of all those in the golden age of sailing. She met her destiny three years later by crushing the fastest clipper at the time, Thermopylae. The 963-ton Cutty Sark’s daily sailing distance averaged 163 miles, reaching speeds as high as 14 knots. The phrase “Cutty Sark” means “very short wearing”, a phrase used to describe a witch in the legendary tale “O’ Thunder”.