Channel 5 - Worlds Greatest Ships Series 1 (2018) Part 2 The Cutty Sark

– Also known as “Great British Ships” –

The British Isles have a long, rich and celebrated seafaring history stretching from the earliest times through the victories of Drake and Nelson, the voyages of discovery and the defence of the realm by vessels of all types in the present century. Much of this history is recorded in literature and in museums but reaches its most tangible form in the large number of historical ships that have been preserved and are continually restored as monuments to a proud past. This new series explores some of the most celebrated and accessible ships and looks the history of each vessels design, construction, active service and subsequent restoration and preservation. Visiting the ships as they stand today, Rob Bell will reveal how and why these monumental vessels were originally built. He'll reveal the mystery of why the Mary Rose sank and discover how HMS Belfast helped turn the tide on D-Day. From Nelson on board HMS Victory to Sir Francis Drake on the Golden Hind, Rob will reveal how daring, genius and dazzling invention led to Britain becoming the world's greatest sea power.

A Windfall Films Production for Channel 5

Part 2 The Cutty Sark

Rob Bell explores the extraordinary tea clipper, Cutty Sark – a ship that endured drunken captains and murderous crews, inspired a whisky, and survived the coming of the steam age, only to face her greatest ordeal - a devastating fire that ripped through her hull one night in 2007. Impossibly, the wooden ship survived the blaze. But how? One of the most glamorous ships of her day, Cutty Sark made her name racing precious cargoes of tea from Shanghai to London. Rob clambers aboard to experience first-hand the beauty and superior design of this perfect sailing ship. He delves into the ship’s tragic past – her vagabond years of 'tramping', mistreated by her captains and deserted by her crews. He uncovers the Cutty Sark's unlikely link to Prohibition, and a famous brand of whisky. And he discovers how, on the night of that terrible fire, the ship was saved by a remarkable piece of good luck.

Full Version Available Upon Request