The Racer-class sloop also known as the Cordelia class of swift cruisers[1] was an 11-gun wooden screw sloop class of five ships built for the Royal Navy between 1855 and 1860.
.jpg) HMS Icarus
| |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Racer class |
| Preceded by | Swallow class |
| Succeeded by | Greyhound class |
| Built | 1855 - 1860 |
| In commission | 1856 - 1877 |
| Completed | 5 |
| Scrapped | 5 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Sloop |
| Displacement | 861 tons |
| Tons burthen | 577 30/94 bm |
| Length |
|
| Beam | 29 ft 1 in (8.9 m) |
| Depth of hold | 15 ft 10 in (4.8 m) |
| Installed power | |
| Propulsion |
|
| Sail plan | Barque rig |
| Speed | Approximately 10 knots (19 km/h) |
| Complement | 120 |
| Armament |
|
Design
editBuilt of a traditional wooden construction, the Racer class were a lengthened version of the Swallow-class sloop, which in turn had been intended as "type of screw vessel below the Cruizer". The extra length gave greater speed, and combined with a considerable increase in power, this gave a speed of about 10 knots (19 km/h), rather more than the 7 knots (13 km/h) of the previous class.[2]
The class were armed with a single 32-pounder gun (58 cwt) gun on a pivot mount and ten 32-pounder (25 cwt) carronades on the broadside. These guns were all smoothbore muzzle-loading, and were little changed from the standard guns of Nelson's era.[3]
Propulsion was provided by a two-cylinder horizontal single-expansion steam engine developing 461 indicated horsepower (344 kW) and driving a single screw. At maximum power under steam, top speed was about 10 knots (19 km/h). A barque rig of sails was carried, which meant the ships of the class had three masts with a square rig on the fore and main masts.[2]
Ships
editThe first three ships were ordered on 3 April 1854, although both Cordelia and Gannet were ordered as Swallow-class sloops, with the design being changed before construction. Icarus was ordered on 3 February 1855 and Pantaloon was ordered on 1 April 1857.[2]
| Name | Ship Builder[2] | Laid down[2] | Launched[2] | Fate[2] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cordelia | Pembroke Dockyard | October 1855 | 3 July 1856 | Sold for breaking on 12 May 1870 |
| Racer | Deptford Dockyard | 1 October 1856 | 4 November 1857 | Broken up in 1876 |
| Gannet | Pembroke Dockyard | December 1856 | 29 December 1857 | Broken up in February 1877 |
| Icarus | Deptford Dockyard | 7 April 1857 | 22 October 1858 | Sold for breaking on 23 January 1875 |
| Pantaloon | Devonport Dockyard | 2 November 1857 | 26 September 1860 | Sold for breaking on 18 September 1867 |
Citations
editReferences
edit- Bastock, John (1988), Ships on the Australia Station, Child & Associates Publishing Pty Ltd; Frenchs Forest, Australia. ISBN 0-86777-348-0
- Jones, Colin (1996). "Entente Cordiale, 1865". In McLean, David & Preston, Antony (eds.). Warship 1996. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-685-X.
- Winfield, R.; Lyon, D. (2004). The Sail and Steam Navy List: All the Ships of the Royal Navy 1815–1889. London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-032-6. OCLC 52620555.