HMS Argo (1758) sea. The frigate was named after the Argo, the ship from Greek mythology upon which Jason and the Argonauts sailed from Iolcos to Colchis to retrieve the Golden Fleece. The Navys choice of this name followed a trend initiated in 1748 by John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, in his capacity as First Sea Lord, of using figures from classical antiquity as descriptors for naval vessels. A total of six "Coventry"-class vessels were named in this manner; a further ten were named after geographic features including regions, English or Irish rivers, or towns. In sailing qualities "Argo" was broadly comparable
Golden Fleece (clipper) with an average time of 117 days. She made 12 passages from New York to San Francisco, with an average time of 125 days. Other ports of call included Manila, Cebu, Honolulu, Yokohama, Callao, Liverpool, and Queenstown. In 1868, "Golden Fleece" made a 44-day passage from San Francisco to Hong Kong, arriving three days before "White Swallow", a clipper known for her speed. "White Swallow" had left the Golden Gate with a two-day head start. In 1860, the two clippers "Golden State" and "Golden Fleece" left New York on the same day. Despite taking different routes in the Atlantic section