Painted on a direct commission by her owners, sampson & tappan of boston, buttersworth portrays her presence with the majesty she earned and deserves. The clipper flying fish completed seven westward cape horn passages to california, the most of any of the extreme clippers built by donald mckay. Her record passage, 92 days and 4 hours, from oct. 31, 1852 to jan. 31, 1853, transpired while victorious in competition in what was to become known as the “great deep-sea derby”. She out sailed fourteen other clippers which left that season. Only three clippers made four faster runs around the horn, with the mckay-built the flying fish holding two of those records. Flying fish's average voyage equates to a very fast 105. 6 days, better than flying cloud and every other 1850s clipper. Exact rigging lines, the gold and green fish figurehead, the gilded name on the bow, the working crew, including captain edward nickels standing on the quarter deck. Date: circa 1852.
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