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.

HMS Icarus
Class overview
NameRacer class
Preceded bySwallow class
Succeeded byGreyhound class
Built1855 - 1860
In commission1856 - 1877
Completed5
Scrapped5
General characteristics
TypeSloop
Displacement861 tons
Tons burthen577 30/94 bm
Length
  • 151 ft (46.0 m) (gundeck)
  • 131 ft 3.75 in (40.0 m) (keel)
Beam29 ft 1 in (8.9 m)
Depth of hold15 ft 10 in (4.8 m)
Installed power
  • 150 nhp
  • 461–617 ihp (344–460 kW)
Propulsion
  • 2-cylinder horizontal single-expansion steam engine
  • Single screw
Sail planBarque rig
SpeedApproximately 10 knots (19 km/h)
Complement120
Armament

Design

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Built 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

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The 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

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  1. ^ "H M S Imperieuse and some of the newest types of Ships of the British Navy". The Graphic. 22 December 1883. Retrieved 19 December 2021. Cordelia Class of swift cruisers
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Winfield (2004) p.216
  3. ^ Bastock, p.29.

References

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  • 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.