The Cutty Sark, built in 1869 in Dumbarton, is the last intact extreme clipper ship of composite construction. She famously took part in a race with another composite tea clipper the Thermopylae which was launched in 1868. As only one of these ships exists today, and she no longer sails, some computational modelling has been undertaken. Using 3D geometries built from the lines plan of each ship CFD models were built looking at the viscous pressure and frictional resistances. Results suggest that the Thermopylae had the lower hull resistance when sailing windward, however the Cutty Sark appears to have a lower resistance at high speeds with the wind behind her.
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