THE RACE AGAINST time began the moment Flying Cloud ’s anchor broke the surface of the water in New York Harbor. Acres of white sails caught the wind on June 2, 1851, as the ship glided toward the Atlantic Ocean on its maiden voyage. Its 16,000-mile journey would take it around the tip of South America and up to San Francisco. No one knew if the untested ship could withstand the angry seas and violent storms it would encounter. Still, hopes were high that Flying Cloud would not only make the journey safely but would make it in record time.
By 1851 the Gold Rush was in full swing. Thousands of fortune hunters flocked to the gold fields of California. Most spent four to six months in wagon trains snaking across the desolate Great Plains and over the Rocky Mountains. But merchants needed a faster way to get their goods to the growing population in the West. Clipper ships, with their long sleek bodies and abundance of sails, were known for their speed. Competition developed between ship builders, owners, and captains to which had made the New York to San Francisco trip in ninety-six days. The pressure was on to beat that record.
