On 31 May 1839, Great Western (1838), for the second consecutive time, beat her own Blue Riband record for speediest transatlantic crossing—Bristol to New York. She accomplished the feat in 13 days, 12 hours flat at an average speed of 9.52 knots.
Great Western, a wooden-hulled paddle-wheeler was the largest passenger ship in the world from 1837 to 1839.
Designed by the legendary British engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Great Western displaced 1,320 tons, was 212 feet long, and accommodated 148 passengers
Near the end of her sea-going career, Great Western carried troops to the Crimean War. She was broken up in at Vauxhall, London, in 1856.
