HMS Racer was a Racer-class brig-sloop of the Royal Navy, launched on 18 July 1833 from Portsmouth Dockyard. Designed by Sir William Symonds in 1832, Racer was a slightly modified version of the Snake-class brig-sloops. She measured approximately 101 feet in length with a beam of 32 feet 6 inches, and her Builder's Old Measurement was 430 63/94 tons. The vessel was armed as a 16-gun brig-sloop, initially equipped with 14 carronades of 32-pounder caliber and 2 cannons of 12-pounder caliber. Constructed at a cost of £8,313, which increased to £12,152 with fitting out, Racer was commissioned shortly after her launch. She first served under Commander James Hope on the North America and West Indies Station. Her service was marked by a notable encounter with Racer’s hurricane in September 1837 in the northwestern Caribbean, where she was dismasted, blown on her beam ends twice, and sustained significant damage, including the loss of rigging, navigational tools, provisions, and a crew member who died from injuries. After repairs in Havana, she returned to England and was paid off in June 1838. Recommissioned later that year, Racer continued on the North America and West Indies Station under Commander George Byng and subsequently under Commander George Percy Hall, who drowned in 1840. She was again paid off in October 1842, underwent repairs at Portsmouth, and was refitted. In 1843, she served on the South America Station and off West Africa, where she notably captured the slave ship Bom Destino in September 1844. In 1848, Racer was refitted to carry 12 guns, and her figurehead was a half-length bust of a male jockey. She then served as a tender to HMS Caledonia and operated in the Mediterranean Sea. Her final service concluded in March 1852, after which she was sold to Wilson & Company for £820. Throughout her career, Racer was significant for her diverse service, including anti-slavery patrols and her resilience in severe weather, exemplifying the versatile design and operational history of early 19th-century Royal Navy brig-sloops.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.