In the 1840s, speedy sailing ships called tea clippers carried tea from China to the UK. The first harvest of each season was the most valuable, so ships raced each other to arrive to get the best price and a cash prize. In 1866, two boats who had left the port of Fuzhou, arrived in London within minutes of each other and agreed to share the winnings. But they discovered that the SS Erl King, complete with a steam-driven propeller to assist its sails, arrived 15 days ahead of the clippers!