sailboat top speed

• Paddle Board

What Is the Average Speed of a Sailboat (Plus Its Top Speed)?

Sailing is a popular hobby and sport enjoyed by many enthusiasts around the world. The beauty of sailing lies in the challenge of mastering the wind and currents to move a boat forward. One of the fascinating aspects of sailing is its speed. Sailboats can move at varying speeds, depending on several factors. In this article, we will dive into the average and top speeds of sailboats and explore the techniques and strategies to increase sailboat speed.

Quick Facts

Understanding Sailboat Speeds

Before delving into the average and top speeds of sailboats, you need to understand the dynamics of sailboat speeds. Sailboat speeds can be determined by the points of sail, wind direction, and boat design. Points of sail refer to the various angles at which a boat can sail in relation to the wind. These angles include upwind, close-hauled, beam reach, broad reach, and downwind (also called a run). Wind direction plays a crucial role in determining sailboat speed. A tailwind is usually faster than a headwind. The boat design also determines the speed potential of a sailboat.

When sailing upwind, sailboats move slower because they are fighting against the wind. Close-hauled sailing is the point of sail where the boat is sailing as close to the wind as possible. It is the slowest point of sail, as the boat is sailing against the wind. Beam reach sailing is when the boat is sailing perpendicular to the wind. It is faster than close-hauled sailing but slower than broad reach sailing. Broad reach sailing is when the boat is sailing with the wind behind it. It is faster than beam reach sailing but slower than downwind sailing. Downwind sailing is when the boat is sailing with the wind directly behind it. It is the fastest point of sail, as the boat is moving with the wind.

Factors Affecting Sailboat Speed

Several factors influence the speed of sailboats. Wind speed is the most significant factor affecting sailboat speed. The bigger the sails, the more power a sailboat has to move faster. Sail area also plays a crucial role in determining sailboat speed. A larger sail area means more power to move the boat. Boat size and weight also come into play, as larger boats require more power to move at faster speeds. Water friction is another critical factor that affects speed. Friction between the hull and the water can slow down a sailboat, but optimized boat design can minimize this effect.

Boat design is essential in determining sailboat speed. The boat’s hull shape, keel design, and rigging all play a role in how fast the boat can sail. The hull shape affects how the boat moves through the water, and a streamlined shape can reduce water resistance and increase speed. The keel design affects the boat’s stability and maneuverability, which can affect speed. Rigging, including the mast and sails, also plays a crucial role in sailboat speed. A well-designed rig can help the boat capture more wind and move faster.

Measuring Sailboat Speed

There are various ways to measure sailboat speed. The most common method is the use of a GPS or handheld speedometer. GPS offers accurate speed readings, while handheld speedometers are affordable and provide basic speed readings. In sailboat racing, measurements are done using speed logs attached to the boat’s hull or through timed performance over a specific distance. Sailboat speed can also be measured using wind instruments, which measure the wind speed and direction and calculate the boat’s speed based on that information.

Sailboat speed is affected by various factors, including wind speed, sail area, boat size and weight, water friction, and boat design. Understanding the points of sail and how wind direction affects sailboat speed is essential in determining how fast a sailboat can go. Measuring sailboat speed can be done using various methods, including GPS, handheld speedometers, speed logs, timed performance, and wind instruments.

Types of Sailboats and Their Average Speeds

Sailboats come in different designs, shapes, and sizes, each with its unique features and capabilities. Whether you are a seasoned sailor or a beginner, choosing the right sailboat type can make all the difference in your sailing experience. Here are some popular sailboat types and their average speeds.

Dinghies are small sailboats primarily used for recreational sailing. These boats are easy to handle and maneuver, making them a popular choice for beginners. Dinghies usually have a single sail, which limits their speed potential. However, their lightweight design allows them to move swiftly through the water. On average, dinghies can move at speeds of 8-15 knots (9-17 mph).

One of the most popular dinghy sailboats is the Laser, which has been an Olympic class boat since 1996. The Laser is a one-design boat, meaning that all boats are built to the same specifications, ensuring fair competition. The Laser is known for its speed and agility, making it a favorite among sailors around the world.

Catamarans are two-hulled sailboats that have a wide beam, making them stable and fast. These sailboats can achieve high speeds and are popular for racing and cruising. Catamarans have a unique design that allows them to sail close to the wind, making them efficient and fast. On average, catamarans can move at speeds of 15-25 knots (17-29 mph).

The Hobie Cat is one of the most popular catamarans in the world. The Hobie Cat is a small, beach-launched catamaran that is perfect for recreational sailing. The boat’s lightweight design allows it to move quickly through the water, and its unique trampoline design makes it comfortable to sail.

Monohulls are the most common sailboat type. These boats have a single hull and can range from small recreational boats to large racing sailboats. Monohulls are versatile boats that can be used for cruising, racing, and day sailing. The average speed range of monohulls is 5-20 knots (6-23 mph).

The J/Boat is a popular monohull sailboat that is known for its speed and performance. The J/Boat is a racing sailboat that has won numerous regattas and championships around the world. The boat’s lightweight design and high-tech features make it a favorite among competitive sailors.

Cruising Sailboats

Cruising boats are designed for comfort and leisurely sailing. They are usually larger and heavier than other sailboat types and can accommodate large crews. Cruising sailboats are perfect for long-distance sailing and exploring new destinations. The average speed range of cruising sailboats is 5-15 knots (6-17 mph).

The Beneteau Oceanis is a popular cruising sailboat that is known for its comfort and luxury. The Oceanis has a spacious interior and can accommodate large crews, making it perfect for extended sailing trips. The boat’s sturdy design and reliable performance make it a favorite among cruising sailors.

Racing Sailboats

Racing sailboats are designed with performance in mind. These boats are usually lightweight and have a larger sail area than recreational sailboats, allowing them to reach high speeds. Racing sailboats are perfect for competitive sailors who want to push their limits and test their skills. The average speed range of racing sailboats is 20-30 knots (23-35 mph).

The Melges 24 is a popular racing sailboat that is known for its speed and agility. The Melges 24 is a one-design boat that is used in numerous regattas and championships around the world. The boat’s lightweight design and high-tech features make it a favorite among competitive sailors.

How to Increase Your Sailboat’s Speed

There is nothing quite like the feeling of sailing at high speeds, with the wind in your hair and the sun on your face. However, achieving maximum speed on a sailboat requires more than just a favorable wind. In this article, we will explore some tips and techniques to help you increase your sailboat’s speed and performance.

Optimizing Sail Trim

Sail trim refers to the setting of the sails in the most efficient way possible to harness the wind’s power and produce maximum speed. Proper sail trim can also improve the boat’s stability and balance. Optimizing sail trim involves adjusting the sails to the correct shape, angle, and tension.

One way to achieve the correct sail trim is to use telltales, which are small pieces of yarn or ribbon attached to the sail. By observing the telltales, you can adjust the sail’s position to achieve the optimal angle and tension. It is also essential to adjust the sails according to the wind conditions. For example, in light winds, the sails should be fuller, while in strong winds, the sails should be flatter.

Balancing the Boat

A balanced boat helps the sailboat move smoothly and efficiently through the water. Balancing the boat involves shifting the crew to counterbalance the forces applied on the sailboat, such as wind gusts and waves. Proper weight positioning can reduce drag and maximize boat performance.

When sailing upwind, it is essential to keep the weight forward to prevent the boat from heeling too much. Conversely, when sailing downwind, it is best to keep the weight aft to prevent the bow from digging into the water. Additionally, it is crucial to keep the weight evenly distributed from side to side to maintain the boat’s balance.

Reducing Drag

Drag is the resistance a sailboat encounters as it moves through the water. Reducing drag can increase speed potential. Techniques to reduce drag include using smooth hull coatings, eliminating unnecessary weight, and keeping the boat clean and free of barnacles and other marine growth.

Another way to reduce drag is to minimize the amount of exposed surface area on the boat. This can be achieved by using a smaller headsail or reefing the mainsail in heavy winds. It is also important to keep the sails properly trimmed, as a poorly trimmed sail can create unnecessary drag.

Proper Maintenance

A well-maintained sailboat operates at its full potential and can achieve higher speeds. Proper maintenance involves regular cleaning, lubrication, and replacement of worn-out parts. It is also essential to keep the sails and rigging in good condition.

Inspect the sails regularly for any signs of wear and tear, such as frayed edges or holes. Replace any damaged sails promptly. Similarly, inspect the rigging for any signs of corrosion or damage. Lubricate the moving parts regularly to ensure smooth operation. Finally, keep the boat clean and free of debris to reduce drag and improve performance.

By following these tips and techniques, you can increase your sailboat’s speed and performance, and enjoy the thrill of sailing to the fullest.

Sailboat Top Speeds

Speed records for different sailboat types.

Sailboats have achieved incredible speeds over the years, with some breaking speed records. The Sailrocket 2 holds the world speed record for sailing at 68 mph. The Vestas Sailrocket 2 is a hydrofoil sailboat that uses advanced technologies to slice through the water at high speeds.

Another sailboat that has broken speed records is the Macquarie Innovation. This sailboat was designed to reach high speeds and broke the world sailing speed record in 2009 by reaching a speed of 50.7 knots (about 58 mph). The boat was built with high-tech materials and was designed to reduce drag and increase speed.

Factors Affecting Top Speed

Top speed is the fastest that a sailboat can travel and is influenced by several factors. These factors include wind speed, boat size and weight, sail area, and water conditions. In most cases, the larger the sail area, the faster the boat can go, and wind direction plays an essential role in achieving top speeds.

The weight of the boat can also affect its top speed. A lighter boat can move faster through the water and is easier to maneuver. Sailboats with hydrofoils, like the Sailrocket 2, can lift out of the water, reducing drag and allowing for faster speeds.

Pushing Your Sailboat to Its Limits

Pushing your sailboat to its limits requires experience, knowledge, and skill. It involves maximizing boat speed in various wind and water conditions while staying safe and in control. Before attempting to push your boat to its highest speeds, ensure that your boat is in top shape, and you have all the necessary safety equipment.

It’s also important to understand the wind and water conditions you’ll be sailing in. Wind direction and strength can greatly affect your boat’s speed, and understanding how to use the wind to your advantage is essential for achieving top speeds. Additionally, water conditions can affect your boat’s speed, with choppy water slowing you down and calm water allowing for faster speeds.

Finally, it’s important to practice and build up your skills before attempting to push your sailboat to its limits. Start by sailing in calmer waters and gradually work your way up to more challenging conditions. With practice and experience, you’ll be able to maximize your boat’s speed and push it to its highest limits.

Sailboat speed is influenced by several factors, including wind speed, sail area, boat size and weight, and water friction. The average speed range for different sailboat types varies and depends on boat design. You can increase your sailboat speed by optimizing sail trim, balancing the boat, reducing drag, and proper maintenance. Top speeds are influenced by wind conditions, sail area, boat size and weight, and water conditions. Pushing your sailboat to its limit requires experience, knowledge, and skill, and always remember to prioritize safety.

Sailboat FAQS

How fast can a 40 ft sailboat go.

A 40-foot sailboat can typically go around 8-12 knots (9-14 mph), depending on wind conditions and the specific design and condition of the sailboat. Speed can be influenced by factors such as hull design, sail area, and weight.

How fast can a 100 foot sailboat go?

A 100-foot sailboat can reach speeds of around 12-16 knots (14-18 mph), depending on factors like the sail area, hull design, and the wind conditions. However, larger sailboats often prioritize comfort and stability over speed, so they might not be as fast as some smaller, performance-oriented sailboats.

How far can a sailboat travel in a day?

This largely depends on the speed of the sailboat and the conditions in which it is sailing. However, if a sailboat maintains an average speed of 6 knots (around 7 mph), it can travel approximately 144 nautical miles in a day of 24 hours. Please note this is a rough estimation and actual mileage can vary significantly based on numerous factors.

What is a comfortable sailing speed?

A comfortable sailing speed is subjective and can vary depending on the type of sailboat and the conditions. However, for many cruising sailboats, a speed of 5-8 knots (6-9 mph) can be comfortable. This speed allows for a good balance of progress and safety, while keeping the ride relatively smooth and the boat easy to control.

Can one person sail a 35-foot sailboat?

Yes, a 35-foot sailboat can be handled by a single person, given that they have sufficient sailing experience and the boat is rigged for single-handed sailing. However, it’s crucial to note that single-handed sailing involves a higher level of risk and requires extensive experience and skills. It’s also important to have an autopilot system or self-steering gear on board to aid in maneuvering and navigation.

Can one person sail a 50-foot sailboat?

Sailing a 50-foot sailboat single-handed is possible, but it is considerably more challenging and requires a high level of experience and expertise. The size and weight of the boat can make maneuvers like docking and anchoring quite difficult for a single person. Additionally, the boat should be well-equipped with an autopilot system and other equipment designed for single-handed sailing. It’s always recommended to have additional crew members on larger boats for safety and assistance.

John is an experienced journalist and veteran boater. He heads up the content team at BoatingBeast and aims to share his many years experience of the marine world with our readers.

What to Do If Your Boat Engine Won’t Start? Common Problems & How to Fix Them

How to launch a boat by yourself: complete beginner’s guide, how to surf: complete beginner’s guide to get you started.

Comments are closed.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

🚚 FREE US SHIPPING ON ORDERS OVER $30 🚚

Average Boat Speeds: Pontoon, Cruiser and Sail Speed Examples

How fast do boats go on average?

Is a fast boat the exception or the rule for average boat speeds? 

What horsepower can you realistically expect from the average boat purchase?

Well, these questions can be answered in lots of different ways.

The fastest boat speed record ever was 317.6 MPH. It   was achieved by a man named Ken War who was using a speedboat he named the  Spirit of Australia . To be fair, though, when that boat made its water speed record run back in 1978, it was powered not by a propeller but by a jet engine. Most boats don't go quite that fast (and we're thankful for that). 

Motorboats designed primarily for speed - known as rum-runners in decades past and often called cigarette boats (due to their slender shape) or simply go-fast boats today - can achieve speeds up to 90 MPH with relative ease over calm flat waters.

Even that's quite a bit faster than the average boat speed, and unless you're considering a career in smuggling  (which we don't recommend, by the way), it's probably quite a bit faster than you need to travel over the water.

So, let's talk about average recreational boat speed statistics that are a bit more practical.

Why Boat Speed Matters

Going fast in a boat can be lots of fun.

The enjoyment that comes from speed is a huge plus for adrenaline-seeking boaters. That's one reason why knowing how fast a boat goes is important.

It's also important to consider boat speed when you're getting a boat for water activities. Think about the types of activities for which your ideal boat will be used. You should even consider whether you live in, or want to enjoy your boat in,  high-altitude areas .

Even then, desired speeds can vary. The best speed for a towing activity such as  water skiing  can vary from 10 MPH to 35 MPH. Lower speeds are better for younger skiers and certain trick-skiing activities, and the higher speeds are for more experienced water skiers completing slaloms or jumps. 

As you can see, some action-loving boaters might need a craft with plenty of potential for speed to soar over those saltwater waves .

The fisherman who likes to slowly troll through calm waters or toss out a line and  an anchor, on the other hand, might do well enough with a boat that only cruises along at a top speed of 15 MPH.

If you use your boat for long trips, then balancing speed and fuel efficiency is important.

How you're going to be using your boat should inform the ideal average and top speed ratings of the boat you ultimately buy.

Don't just go looking for a super fast boat that you might not ever really take advantage of. What a waste that would be!

Average Pontoon Boat Speeds

The trusty, stable pontoon boat can travel a good deal faster than many people think.

Pontoon boat speeds  can surpass 30 MPH  under the right conditions. A few pontoon boats can even reach the 35 MPH mark thanks to larger engines and great conditions.

The G3 Suncatcher pontoon boat , with a 90 HP motor, can easily go more than 30 MPH .

A 20-foot Bass Buggy with a 60 HP engine, on the other hand, will only go around 15 MPH .

A middle-of-the-road option in terms of average pontoon boat speed is the 21-foot Triton pontoon boat  and its 90 HP engine. This boat's combination of speed and strength gives it a top boat speed of around 25 MPH even   when you have a few friends aboard weighing it down.

Average Cruiser Speeds

For cruiser-style motorboats that are in the price range of many American families, let's discuss a few options that give a good sense of average powerboat speed.

The Marlow-Pilot 32 has a relatively slow top cruising speed of 16 MPH , but its range at moderate speeds is the more remarkable thing about the vessel. It can travel more than 800 miles without re-fueling.

If you want a motorboat with a bit more speed, such as what a sport fisherman might need, consider the stats of the Pursuit SC 365i Sport Yacht . It can come close to 50 MPH at top speed and cruise comfortably in the 30 MPH range.

Finally, if you're wondering how fast larger motorboats go, the 40-foot Carver C40 Command Bridge cruises along at 30 MPH with ease and is suitable for use during multi-day trips.

Average Sailboat Speeds

Most people use sailboats because they savor the practice of harnessing the wind, not because they expect to go all that fast.

The average cruising sailboat, such as a celebrated Island Packet 420 , will sail along at an average speed of between 8  and 12 MPH  under most decent circumstances.

The world speed record of a sailboat is a bit faster than that, at just over 75 MPH . That breakneck speed was achieved by the  Vestas Sailrocket 2   in 2012.

And just for your interest, have you ever wondered how fast Columbus's ships sailed ? Experts agree that ships of the late 15th century likely cruised along at just under 4 knots and a likely top speed of 8 knots. That's an average boat speed of somewhere between 4 and  9 MPH . 

Featured Boat Care Product

Check Price on Amazon  - Better Boat Fabric Waterproof spray protects Bimini tops, canvas, upholstery and nylon from the inevitable spray of water. You can even use it on shoes, bags, luggage and car covers. 

Average Boat Speed and Fuel Consumption

Going fast in a motorboat is lots of fun but it can also be very expensive.

To help get a picture of the direct relationship of average boat speed to fuel used, let's select the Formula 240 Bowrider motorboat as our example. This affordable and capable 24-foot speedboat is a common favorite for American families.

At a steady cruising speed of 7 MPH, the 240 Bowrider consumes about 3 gallons of fuel per hour. At twice that speed, around 15 MPH, it consumes over twice the amount of fuel, burning up around 7 gallons per hour.

Double that speed again and the boat consumes 11 gallons of fuel at around 30 MPH. The Bowrider can go well over 45 MPH.

Many powerboats offer relative fuel efficiency at their mid-range speeds, so puttering along at only a few miles per hour isn't necessary for fuel savings. You can cruise at an enjoyable clip and still conserve fuel.

Laws About Boat Speed

It's generally rather easy to figure out the speed limit when you're driving on a road. All you have to do is look for the posted speed limit sign. Knowing boat speed regulations laws is a bit trickier.

The limits aren't always posted and can change based on a myriad of factors, including the type of waterway, time of day (or night), type of boat and more.

And what's more, a boat speed limit is rarely a specific numerical figure.

Once you're out on the open water of a sea, ocean or large lake, it's safe to assume you can take your boat up to its top speed provided you can see the way ahead of you is safe and clear.

Closer to shore - on a river, in the bay or in other such areas - you have to be a bit more cautious.

Generally, you must watch out for "no wake zones," which are enforced in many places, including near docks and marinas, in canals and near the shore in many cases.

To remain in compliance with a No Wake Zone rule, a boat must travel slow enough that it doesn't produce a swell large enough to threaten others in the area (including other boaters, swimmers, animals and so forth).

Most motorboats produce a noticeable wake at speeds greater than 5 MPH. Yes, navigating the way through a no wake zone can be an exercise in patience. But the rules regarding boat speed were designed to help keep all people out on the water safe, from the family enjoying a trip in their pleasure yacht to the fisherman casting a line off of his sit-on-top kayak.

Keep these considerations in mind when you're choosing your boat and taking it out for a spin to test its full speed.

• choosing a selection results in a full page refresh

What is the Average Speed of a Sailboat?

When I try to figure out the duration of whatever sailing trip I have in the making, I always need to know this one thing first: the average speed of a sailboat - especially with long journeys. If you have the same problem, this article is for you.

So what's the average speed of a sailboat? Most sailboats cruise at a speed of 4-6 knots (4.5-7 mph), with a top speed of 7 knots (8 mph or 13 km/h). Larger racing yachts can easily reach speeds up to 15 knots (17 mph or 28 km/h), with an average cruising speed between 6-8 knots (7-9 mph). Cruising speeds of over 8 knots are uncommon.

Different types of sailboats reach very different speeds. Of course, it all depends on wind conditions, current, and many other factors. Did you know that the speed of a boat is directly related to its length? The larger the boat, the faster it goes. I'll explain it to you later on, but first, more on average speed.

On this page:

Factors that determine speed, converting and calculating sailing speed, calculating the hull speed of your own boat, exceeding hull speed, amount of nautical miles, related questions.

So let's get a little more into detail on sailboat speed. The most important factor in determining the speed is the hull type. I have two rules of thumb for you. The first is: the less of the boat is under water, the faster it goes.

Here are the average cruising speeds for different hull types:

• Monohull - 6-8 knots
• Catamaran and trimarans - 9-10 knots
• Fastest monohull (world record circumnavigation) - 15.43 knots
• Fastest trimaran (world record circumnavigation) - 27 knots

Monohull - Your average sailboat is a monohull. Nearly all monohulls are displacement hulls. A displacement hull is under water, pushing the water away. This allows the boat to cut through the water more smoothly; this stabilizes the boat. If you want to make it go faster, you would have to raise the entire hull above the water. Later on I'll show you how to calculate the maximum hull speed of your boat.

Catamarans and Trimarans - These are planing hulls, meaning they are on top of the water. They displace less water, which is why they are faster. But a planing hull is less stable than a displacement hull. To compensate, catamarans and trimarans have two or three hulls, which makes them extremely buoyant. Since this is not your average sailboat I'll leave them out of this article.

The second factor is the length of the boat. It's the second rule of thumb: the longer the boat, the faster it goes. Each sailboat has a maximum hull speed, which it can't exceed (in theory). The hull speed is determined by the length of the boat.

Here are the maximum hull speeds for different monohull lengths:

Please note: the maximum hull speed isn't the average sailing speed. It's the upper limit (in theory - read on to learn more).

The third and perhaps most obvious factor of course is wind direction and speed. If you plan a large voyage, for example, an ocean passage, make sure to check the dominant wind and direction for your time of year. You want to make sure to have as much downwind as you can get, and a favorable current as well. This is why most sailors choose to go eastward instead of westward when sailing the world.

If you want to know why going eastward is smart, I encourage you to read my previous article on sailing around the world here .

How to calculate necessary sailing speed

So imagine you need to get to dock in time. It's 50 miles away. You need to arrive at 2100 hours. It's currently 1500 hours. Would be handy to know at what speed you need to sail to make it in time.

The formula is simple:

nautical miles / time = average speed necessary

2100 - 1500 = 360 minutes 360 / 60 = 6 hours Your average speed should be: 50 NM / 6 = 8.3 knots

Converting knots to mph and km/h

To convert knots to mph or km/h, simply multiply the knots by the ratio below.

1 knot = 1.151 mph 1 knot = 1.852 km/h

Great, we have a good general idea of what to expect from our trustworthy vessels. If you want to go deeper, you can try to calculate the maximum hull speed of your own boat. Calculating the maximum speed is actually very simple. Now is the time to get out your calculator.

You calculate the maximum hull speed (HS) by taking the length in feet (lwl), get the square root, and multiplying it by 1.34.

HS = √ lwl * 1.34 HS = Hull Speed lwl = length at waterline

So a 80 feet boat has a maximum hull speed of:

√ 80 * 1.34 = 12 knots

A displacement hull has a maximum hull speed. Hull speed is a theoretical speed that tells us what the maximum efficient speed is. Everything above that speed costs a lot more energy. If you power your boat by engine, you can exceed the speed by pushing the hull over your own bow wave (this requires a lot of horsepowers though, and it isn't good for your engine).

If you're sailing instead, you can exceed your hull speed with the help of the weather. Let's call these surfing conditions (sounds good). This might happen to you when you're sailing downwind and the current pushes you forward simultaneously. This helps you to overtake your own bow wave. If this happens, the wavelength gets longer than the hull length: the water can't get out of the way fast enough. As a result, the boat starts to plane, increasing water resistance at the front. Congratulations: you're surfing on your own bow wave.

The increase in speed won't be mind blowing however (about 1 knot). The truth is: a displacement hull is bound to its speed. It just costs to much energy to propel it through the water. It's made to cut, not steamroll the water.

Sailboats don't travel lightning fast, but they do travel 24/7. Because of this, they can cover quite a bit of distance. What distance are we actually able to cover with conservative speeds?

The average sailboat covers a distance of roughly 100 nautical miles (NM) , at a speed of around 4.5 knots. This equals 115 miles or 185 km.

1 NM is 1.852 km or 1.151 mile

You can calculate the distance per day by simply multiplying the speed in knots by 24 hours:

NM = knots * 24

Most sailboats cover anywhere between 100-180 NM per day. This means that a fast sailboat in ideal conditions can cover more than 200 miles. Impressive. However, anything over 180 NM is uncommon. We usually only see cruising speeds that high in races.

Here are the distances per day (NM) for different cruising speeds:

How fast can a sailboat go under power? The average speed of a sailboat under power is 4-5 knots (5 mph or 8 km/h). Most sailors switch to engine at sailing speeds below 6 knots, especially when on passage.

How fast do racing sailboats go? Racing sailboats can reach speeds of 30 - 50 knots (35-58 mph or 55-92 km/h). The record is set at 65.45 knots (75 mph or 121 km/h). They can beat wind speed because they have a planing hull instead of a displacement hull, making them a lot faster than average sailboats

Can a sailboat sail faster than the wind? Sailboats with a planing hull (multihulls) can go faster than wind. Displacement hulls (the average sailboat) can't beat the wind, or just slightly in surfing conditions.

Robert Tangney Kenmare Ireland

Just wondering if you could do a similar article on diesel powered boats.I have a Seaward 23 powered with two 1.6 mermaid engines.I normally do around 7_8 knots and was thinking of replacing them for more speed around 10_12 knots.what engines would I need. According to what I have read already I should be getting 10 knots cruising speed with a top speed of 12 knots.This is not the case and her bottom is very clean.Found your article very interesting.

Shawn Buckles

Hi Robert, thanks for your comment. You have quite a bit of power there, nice.

I wouldn’t know for sure what engine size you should get, this article is specifically about sailboats. Also, this is the maximum hull speed - what you could expect under ideal conditions. And that’s never the case - you have to deal with current, wind, and so on. So I’d say it sounds about right.

If by diesel-powered boats you mean a powerboat, I currently don’t write about powerboats. Maybe I will in the future, but I won’t make any promises for now.

Thanks again and good luck with your upgrade!

I’m not sure if you use a different way of calculating time in nautical terms (Not a sailor myself, just curious about sailboats), but in the ‘How to calculate necessary sailing speed’ my math would say there’s 6 hours = 360 minutes from 1500 hours (3 PM) to 2100 hours (9 PM), not 600 minutes = 10 hours. Am I missing something?

Hi Ben L, That’s exactly right, it was a math error on my part. Thanks for pointing it out, I have updated the article.

Catamarans and trimarans are PLANING boats?! How long have you been sailing? Three days? :-)))

Matas Pacevicius

Just wanted to point out a typo. At hull speed of 5NM you travel 120NM and 138miles (not the 115 written) per 24hrs. Thank you for your articles. I’ve been dreaming of circumnavigation for years and am in the process of designing and building my own sailboat for the feat. I would love to build and sail a sailboat on which I could live almost anywhere in the world. I currently reside on the Gulf coast of Florida and am surrounded by beautiful warm waters that beckon me to explore them. Hopefully in the followings 5 years I will be sailing into the Caribbean in my self-built traveling home in the water. I wish to call the oceans home and soon the entire world. I plan to cross the Atlantic from the Caribbean on my first leg around the world. Would you recommend sailing throughout the Mediterranean? Any ideas on how’s to make money along the way?

I’ve worked all my life, struggling. Now 56y.o. staring at becoming a jobless wanderer in the next couple of months, maybe pick up a used boat. I am just really curious how some people have the time and place to design, build, and then sail around. Tell me your secrets…

Benjamin Lindner

Hello Shawn;

You have an error in your table above: 5 Knots = 120 NM BUT DOES NOT EQUAL 115 MILES.

Thank you Ben

Carlos Alberto Molinelli

But WHY is it a maximum speed for displacement boats in quiet waters, responding to this old formula? It is because the speed increases, the water displaced forms waves. At slow speed there are several along the hull. At fast speed there are only two: one at the bow and another an the stern. If the boat tries to go faster, the stern wave would go more farther but the hull would lose sustentation. It better explained with a picture. Look for boats going fast. You will see only two waves.

Robert Flores

Getting close to retirement and want to get a sailboat with some power. Thinking about sailing lakes and coastal. Looking at the macgregor 26M and seaward 26rk. What recommendations do you have ?? Or things to think about. I am one for safety. Best regards Robert

Ronald Ernst van Dijk

Thank you. Very well explained in clear language, including the usual conversions between knots, miles and kilometers. It helps understanding the physics of sailboats and what to expect in terms of speed. I have just completed building an 18 feet wooden gaff rigged yawl (design by François Vivier) for single handed coastal sailing in Malaysia, the country where I live. Your “rule of thumb” about HS = Lwl * 1.34 seems to work well, although I have to further try it out with different wind speeds and sailing on a reach or down wind.

Your website is an ad horror show to the point it is not usable any more. Ads do have their place and purpose, just like food needs salt. But in your case there is more salt then there is food. Moderation is key.

Ara Houston

Hello improvesailing.com owner, You always provide helpful information.

Leave a comment

You may also like, how far can you sail in one day.

The average one-day sailing distance of a boat is important for planning passages. I've done the research and the same numbers kept coming up. Here they are.

How Much Fuel Does a Sailboat Use?

How To Sail Into the Wind (in 7 Simple Steps)

What’s the Largest Boat One Person Can Operate?

Ridetheducksofseattle is reader-supported. When you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more

Average Speed of a Sailboat (How Fast Can a Sailboat Go?)

Written by Anthony Roberts / Fact checked by Jonathan Larson

You might have seen how sailing yachts seem to outpace motorized boats in a regatta, prompting you to ask about the average speed of a sailboat. Although the record holder (the Vestas Sailrocket 2) can blitz to 65.5 knots, the run-off-the-mill sailing vessel can only reach four to six knots.

Several factors influence sailboat speeds, and we will examine each in this article. Please keep reading, so you will not miss the invaluable information you will get from this post.

Table of Contents

1. Hull shape

2. sailboat length, 1. alternative measurement, 2. converting knots to kph or mph, 1. hull type, tips to improve speed, frequently asked questions, how fast can a sailing vessel go.

Regatta-competing racing sailboats can reach a top speed of about 20 knots, while custom-built high speed racing yachts can log 50 knots. As mentioned, the Vestas Sailrocket 2 blitzes the waters at a dizzying 65.5 knots (75.38 miles per hour or 121.31 kilometers per hour).

On the other hand, the average sailboat in lakes and other bodies of water can only top the speed charts at seven knots (8.06 MPH or 12.97 KPH), averaging about four to six knots (4.6 to 6.9 MPH or 7.4 to 11.1 KPH).

An 1800s or 1970s sailing ship (i.e., galleon or clipper) has about the same speed as the average modern sailboat. However, it is worth noting that the Sovereign of the Seas logged the highest velocity for a sail-powered ship at 22 knots (25.32 MPH or 40.75 KPH) in 1854.

Meanwhile, the fastest sailing dinghy is the International Moth, blasting the waters at 35.9 knots (41.3 MPH or 66.5 KPH).

So, why the variance?

Two intrinsic (within the boat itself) factors impact the speed of sailboat units. These include hull shape and vessel length.

Racing sailboats are faster than cruising yachts because of their unique hull shape differences.

A sailboat built for speed has a super-slim hull and straight buttock lines. The aft section forms a straight line between the slightly wide transom and the hull’s lowest point.

Meanwhile, sluggish sailboats have a “fat tub” hull shape, a narrow stern, and a curvy hull.

There is a scientific explanation about the impact of sailboat size (or length) on its speed. Sailing vessels create a wave pattern as they move along the water, one at the front and another at the back.

A water wave sufficient to help the boat move occurs if the sailboat’s length is similar to the length of the wave. This phenomenon “lifts” the vessel’s bow, increasing its speed while reducing water resistance.

Hence, a longer sailboat will have a greater cruising speed than short vessels because they can create longer waves.

We prepared the following table to illustrate how vessel length impacts sailboat speed. Hence, a 40 ft. sailboat will always be speedier than shorter sailing vessels (<40 feet).

How to Calculate the Speed

You can use an online sailboat speed calculator, input the required variables, and the system will automatically run the equation. Alternatively, you can determine your sailboat’s average speed by following this simple formula.

Average yacht speed knots = (√(LWL))x 1.34

In which “LWL” is your sailboat’s length at the waterline

Suppose you have a 36-foot sailboat that measures 26 feet at the waterline. The square root of 26 is 5.099. Multiplying this number by 1.34 will result in 6.832 or 6.8 knots.

How about a 59-foot sailing vessel with a waterline length of 47 feet? The square root of 47 is 6.86. We will get 9.19 knots after multiplying 6.86 by 1.34.

Please note that this sailboat speed is the average, provided you have clear skies, calm seas, and an ideal sailboat setup.

For example, suppose we achieved 6.8 knots with 15-knot winds and a sail setup of 50- to 120-degree true wind angle. We can expect our sailboat example to be slower if we do not achieve these conditions.

You can also determine your sailboat’s speed by sailing from one point to another. However, you might have to ascertain the distance between these two locations beforehand, and it should be in nautical miles (NM).

Why nautical miles? We are measuring sailboat speeds in knots. One knot is equivalent to one NM per hour. It is worth noting that one NM is 1.15 land-based miles, to put it in perspective.

Take the known distance between the two locations (in nautical miles) and divide the number by the time it took you to complete the journey.

For example, suppose you sailed from Buffalo, New York to Detroit, Michigan, with a distance of 186.99 nautical miles, and it took you 23 hours to complete the journey. In that case, 186.99 divided by 23 hours is 8.13 knots.

You can also take your average sailing distance per day to gain a more comprehensive understanding of your sailboat’s speed. For example, a sailboat with a 6-knot average speed can cover 144 nautical miles in 24 hours (6 x 24 = 144).

Something might be amiss if your boat sailed for 24 hours and covered less than 144 nautical miles. You might have more favorable sailing conditions if you traveled the distance in less than 24 hours.

Sailors use “knots” as the unit of measure for vessel speed. Unfortunately, ordinary mortals are unfamiliar with this metric. They are more in tune with “miles per hour” (MPH) or “kilometers per hour” (km/h or KPH).

We mentioned that a nautical mile is slightly longer than a land-measured mile (1.15 statute miles). We also know that 1 NM per hour is 1 knot. Hence, we can multiply the “knot” value by 1.15 to determine your sailboat’s speed in MPH (miles per hour).

A mile is also longer than a kilometer (1 mile = 1.60934 kilometers). Thus, we can assume our KPH values will be higher than knots and MPH. We can multiply “knots” by 1.852 to get the value in KPH.

For example, a top speed sailboat blitzing at 50 knots has a maximum velocity of 57.5 MPH (50 knots x 1.15) or 92.6 KPH (50 knots x 1.852).

On the other hand, a 6.5-knot sailboat can only muster 7.475 MPH or 12.038 KPH.

Factors Affecting Sailboat Speed

Although we already discussed hull shape and vessel length’s influence on sailboat speed, three other factors can impact watercraft velocity.

Sailboats with at least two hulls (catamarans) are 25 to 30 percent faster than monohulls, given equal lengths.

Hence, if a single-hulled sailboat can go six knots, we can expect a catamaran to have an average speed of 7.5 to 7.8 knots (8.625 to 8.97 MPH or 13.89 to 14.45 KPH). This sailboat hull can match a racing monohull sailboat’s velocity with better comfort.

Add another hull to the catamaran (a trimaran), and you can outpace a racing monohull by doubling its velocity.

Although some sailboats have engines, most rely on wind power for propulsion. Hence, stronger winds can make a sailboat go faster by pushing against the sail. Unfortunately, wind direction can also influence vessel speed. You can go fast if the wind blows in your heading.

You might be inclined to believe that calm waters can make your sailboat go faster. Unfortunately, serene waters often mean gentle winds. And if there is not much wind to push the sail, you cannot expect your vessel to go faster.

Current, wind, and wave or sea condition is the most important factor in determining a safe vessel speed. If the water is rough, it is safer to reduce speed because bad weather can impair visibility and make it challenging to maneuver the vessel.

Here are some tips to improve sailboat speed.

• Ensure the sailboat’s proper operating condition, especially the mast, sail, and extrusions. Check the hull and foils.
• Be mindful of the sailboat’s maximum weight capacity, ensuring you do not exceed the rating. Moreover, the correct weight distribution can help you pilot the sailboat faster.
• You might want to brush up on your sailing competencies, including sail control, steering, sail angling, genoa and jib control, kite curling, efficient pumping, and wind positioning.
• Check your sailboat’s settings, including the shroud tension, mast rake, jib car position, mast step position, keel position, and vang tension.

Sailboat speed vs wind speed: which’s faster?

A vessel sailing faster than the wind is possible with a superiorly designed and streamlined hull and the correct sail angle. Otherwise, the sailboat will only be as fast as the wind speed on the sail.

It is also worth mentioning that sailboats with multiple hulls or a planing hull can be faster than wind speeds.

How fast can a sailboat go under power?

A sailboat under power can move on the water at an average velocity of four to five knots (nautical miles per hour) or 5 MPH (8 KPH). This is not very fast but not slow either.

Are catamarans or monohulls faster?

Multihulls (i.e., catamarans and trimarans) are faster than monohulls, averaging about nine to ten knots (10.35 to 11.5 MPH or 16.69 to 18.52 KPH). On the other hand, monohulls only average six to eight knots (6.9 to 9.2 MPH or 11.11 to 14.82 KPH).

The average speed of a sailboat varies across sailing vessel types, sailboat lengths, hull shapes, and hull types. Wind and waves can also influence sailboat velocity.

Given ideal weather conditions, the average sailing vessel can cruise at four to six knots. Custom-built, high-performance racing yachts can blitz the waters at up to 65 knots. Twin-hulled sailboats are 25 to 30 percent faster than their single-hull counterparts, while triple-hulls are super-quick.

Of course, everything depends on wave and wind conditions.\

Read more : The fastest speed of a boat.

Ten years of enjoying countless trips on boats never made me love them any less! So I am here to put all those experiences into good use for other boaters who want to have a safe and fun trip with their friends and families.

Boating Basics Online is reader-supported. When you buy via our links, we may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more

Average Speed of a Sailboat & Factors That Affect Speed

Written by J. Harvey / Fact checked by S. Numbers

Sailboats have been around for a long time, and even now, when motors are common on vessels, they are still used. But have you ever wondered about the performance and average speed of a sailboat?

A sailboat average speed ranges from 4 to 6 knots or 4.5 to 7 mph and tops out at 8mph . However, many factors affect these estimates, including the type of boat and its hull . Let’s take a closer look.

Table of Contents

Sail Boat Speed

Factors that affect speed, ways to improve sailboat speed, frequently asked questions.

Sailboats have an average speed range of 4 to 6 knots and a sailboat top speed of 7 knots; however, this is an average for all types, and the numbers can change a lot based on the boat model, its hull, along with other factors.

For example, racing sailboats go much faster, up to 20 knots with custom designs reaching up to 50 knots. The fastest sailboat speed on record is 65.45 knots.

Modern ships no longer use sails, but the average sailing ship speed in the 70s was around 4 to 6 knots. This range also applies to the trading galleon that drove much of the world’s commerce in the past.

Averages aside, the fastest sailing ship speed was recorded in 1854 at 22 knots or 41 kph.

• Depending on the sailboat’s dimension

The length of a sailboat directly affects its speed, and longer vessels tend to be faster than shorter ones. The reason is boats need to lift their hull and create speed by riding over the water. This is more easily achieved if the length of the wave is closer to the length of the craft.

Some designs make use of length to boost speeds. Though longer boats tend to be heavy and swift, that doesn’t mean lightweight crafts are slow.

On the contrary, they can be quite fast, but they are vulnerable to strong winds and unstable waters. Multi-hulls are ideal for lighter boats and will be discussed further below.

Here is a table that shows how average speeds differ as length increases. You can see that a 40 ft. sailboat is faster than any smaller vessel, and the fastest small sailboat can not outrun the bigger ones. The exception would be a racing craft.

• The shape of the boat hull

Hull shape greatly affects the speed and performance of watercraft, with a slim hull and wider transom striking the ideal balance. This shape allows the boat to be faster and more stable .

A hull with a high buttock angle is not able to resist waves and is therefore slower.

• How to measure sailboat speed

To calculate your speed in knots with a calculator, take your vessel’s LWL or length of the waterline from bow to stern in feet. Take the square root of this number and multiply it by 1.34, which is a given figure for the wave crest, related to the wake of your watercraft.

The product is the estimated average speed. In short:

√LWL x 1.34 = average sailboat or average yacht speed knots

Another straightforward method of determining your vessel’s speed is to sail between two points with a known distance in nautical miles. Divide the figure by your travel time to get your average speed in knots.

Conversion from knots to mph or km/h is also useful. One knot is equivalent to 1.15mph or 1.85 kph.

Aside from the boat’s dimensions and shape, hull type, waves, and wind also affect a vessel’s speed.

The two general hull types are the monohull and multihull.

The monohull, also known as the displacement hull, is the standard type used on most boats. These are designed to pierce through the water to reduce drag and can go even faster by lifting the bow.

The multihull is a boat with multiple hulls, as can be derived from the name, and the catamaran is a popular example with its twin hulls. Compared to monohulls of the same size, the average sailing speed of a catamaran and a tri-hull is 9 to 10 knots, which are around 25 to 30% faster compared to a monohull craft.

However, multi-hulls are sensitive to weight imbalances and are less capable of managing heavier loads.

• Water condition

In general, bigger waves tend to accompany higher speeds. That said, waves that are too tall can be dangerous, such as in the case of breaking waves.

Sailboats use a sail, and the wind directly affects their performance. However, the direction is another important factor, since sailing downwind gives a boost in speed, while going upwind will make it difficult to move faster. Being able to utilize the wind effectively can help boost your speed.

You can also take steps to go faster; some are simple to do, but others pose more difficulty.

The first is to ensure that your boat is in good condition, which is already a given. For a sailboat, however, the condition of the sail and mast is a unique and important factor. For instance, the mast should be free of cracks and its extrusions should be secured correctly.

Weight is another important consideration and needs to be managed properly. Aside from minding your cargo weight, it is also essential to balance this weight and distribute it properly.

Proper sailing is another critical point. To reach top speed sailboat needs an operator that employs the correct technique. This includes perfect steering, wind positioning, and sail control; these take time to learn but are essential to reach maximum speed.

Sailboat speed vs wind speed: can a sailboat sail faster than the wind?

Yes. There are two ways to achieve this, and both involve reducing or eliminating drag between the vessel and the water. One is by lifting the hull using the apparent wind on the sail; the other is by foiling, which brings the boat on top of the water.

How many miles can a sailboat travel in a day?

These vessels have an average sailing distance per day of 185 km, provided that travel is continuous and downwind. If under the power of an engine, the distance traveled increases up to 241 km.

How fast does a sailboat go? Now you know the average speed of a sailboat, along with a better understanding of what affects the numbers and how to improve them.

Sailing crafts are not capable of reaching the same speeds as motorized vessels; however, they offer a very different experience that many boaters find appealing.

How do you feel about sailboats after learning about their speed? Would you try one if given the opportunity? Tell us in the comments section below.

Remember to boat safely.

• The fastest speed of a speed boat.

“My intention from the first day establishing Boating Basics Online is to provide as much help as possible for boaters who want to experience a first safe and convenient trip. So feel free to join us and share your beautiful journeys to the sea!”

• Yachting World
• Digital Edition

Fastest sailboats: The teams aiming to break 80 knots

• April 6, 2022

It's been nearly a decade since Sailrocket set a new record to become the world's fastest sailboat. Now two teams are hoping to set a new record with their radical designs, Mark Chisnell reports

On 24 November 2012, Paul Larsen and his Sailrocket team rewrote our understanding of the physics of sailboats, stamping their names indelibly in the record books as they set a new record for the world’s fastest sailboat.

A little over a week earlier, at a spot called Walvis Bay on the coast of Namibia, Sailrocket 2 had pushed the outright sailing speed record up by the biggest-ever margin – from 55.65 to 59.23 knots. The performance on the 24th smashed it beyond all expectations though, a gloriously windy day that saw Sailrocket 2 deliver a 65.45 knot average officially becoming the world’s fastest sailboat.

It was a remarkable human achievement, piloting a boat down a 500m course at speeds that had previously been thought impossible. “Your job is to go 100% down that course, there’s no halfway about it,” Paul Larsen told me, almost a decade later. “By the time you’ve got a big team and all the momentum of that project going, your biggest fear is not going fast.”

The risks are inescapable though, as Larsen had revealed in a blog; “As I lay awake in bed that morning I considered writing a little note that I hoped would never be read and stashing it somewhere. Too morbid. Just get it right, Larsen.”

Growth of the world’s fastest sailboat

To put Sailrocket’s performance into context you need to consider the trajectory and history of the sailing speed record . It started back in 1972 with Tim Colman and Crossbow setting an opening mark of 26.30 knots.

Yellow Pages in 1993. Photo: Frederick Clement/DPPI Media/Alamy

By 1993, Yellow Pages had upped that all the way to 46.52 knots – an average improvement of almost a knot every year. But then something changes, progress halts for over a decade. The windsurfers and kiteboarders eventually start nudging it back up, but it’s 16 years before another yacht – Alain Thebault’s foil-borne L’Hydroptère – sets a new record, not even five knots quicker than Yellow Pages .

It was thought that the speed of sailing machines was reaching a ceiling, a physical limit defined by the cavitation point. If you have ever made a cup of tea at altitude then you will know that the boiling point (the transformation point where water changes from a liquid into a vapour), varies with pressure. The lower the pressure, the lower the temperature required for water to boil. So, at the top of Everest, water will boil at about 68°C.

There’s also low pressure on the leeward side of an aero- or hydrofoil . Foils provide a lifting force because of the pressure difference between one side and the other. This difference creates the force as the foil tries to equalise the pressure.

L’Hydroptère claimed the record in 2009. Photo: Christophe Launay

If a hydrofoil goes fast enough then the pressure to leeward will drop sufficiently that the water starts to ‘boil’ or vaporise. This creates a loss of lift, and instability as smooth flow turns chaotic, with vapour bubbles flowing down the foil to an area of higher pressure where they collapse.

It’s this speed limit that we see America’s Cup and SailGP foilers hit on a reach. Once the speed gets much above 50 knots the foils – which are designed to suppress cavitation for as long as possible – finally start to cavitate and the boats just can’t go any faster.

To get past this point a completely different type of foil is required, one that does not try to eliminate cavitation but instead tries to stabilise it, and this is the secret to the 65-knot speed of Sailrocket 2 . “That’s the brilliant [foil] design that we settled on, with a lot of help from guys like Aerotrope and Chris Hornzee-Jones. Chris did amazing work behind the scenes on that project, including designing the final foils,” said Larsen.

Article continues below…

Syroco: Radical design aiming to set a new speed record

If having a top-flight speed sailor as a part of your team taking on the challenge of creating the world’s…

SP80: Swiss team hoping to build the fastest sailboat

SP80 was conceived by three graduates of Swiss engineering school, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne; Benoît Gaudiot, Xavier Lepercq and…

Sailrocket obliterates world record….again

Matthew Sheahan talks to Paul Larsen shortly after he exceeds 65 knots, shattering his own world record

The team realised the foil didn’t need to be impossibly thin to suppress and avoid cavitation. Instead, they could encourage it and push past the cavitation point with a foil that would cavitate in a stable fashion.

“To make a dinghy or a powerboat analogy, it’s like when you get over that hump and the boat gets up on the plane. We all know when the water separates off the back of the boat, you don’t want your transom gurgling around at the back there with all that drag,” Larsen explains.

Current speed record holders Paul Larsen and Vestas Sailrocket 2. Photo: Vestas SailRocket

In a similar fashion, Sailrocket 2 ’s foil is able to shed the turbulent, draggy flow of early cavitation and replace it with a single smooth pocket of vapour around the foil as air sucks down from the surface. Larsen calls this a base ventilated foil, it’s also sometimes termed a super-ventilating foil.

“So you end up with these very shallow camber, base ventilated foils, and they’re not overly efficient but they don’t have a limit,” he explained. “They keep working. It’s like a jet fighter’s wings. They’re not efficient, but if you put a big jet engine behind them, they keep going where the others stop and hit the ceiling.”

Force alignment

The jet engine was the other part of the problem. How do you generate enough power from the aerofoil to push a horribly inefficient hydrofoil up to the speeds required to start cavitation, and then blow through that barrier?

The answer lay in a decades-old idea – force alignment. In conventional sailboats, be they dinghies, multihulls or yachts, the aerodynamic force created by the sails is both pushing the boat forward and pushing it over.

The force is resisted by a combination of a hydrodynamic force from a foil in the water, and weight – either the crew’s bodyweight or the weight of a keel. These two forces act at a distance from the centre of effort of the sail – creating opposing levers, with the forces of mass and hydrodynamic lift opposing the aerodynamic force generated by the sail (or wingsail).

The use of these forces to create a propulsive forward force demands a structure of a commensurate size and strength. So to go faster required more force and/or lighter overall weight, but also stronger structures. It was big improvements in the strength and weight characteristics of materials that allowed much of the jumps in speeds set through the 1970s, 80s and 90s.

Vestas Sailrocket 2 used force alignment to achieve her remarkable speeds

But there was another way: by offsetting the forces and aligning them. “So [you] have the centre of effort of the aerodynamic forces, the sail or the wing, directly aligned with the opposing force of the foil,” explains Larsen. In other words, remove the levers by having the force from the sail directly oppose the force from the hydrofoil.

“We didn’t come up with that concept, that was written about in the 1960s by Bernard Smith in the book The 40-Knot Sailboat ,” Larsen adds. Smith’s insights were so far ahead of his time that it took almost five decades for them to be fully realised in Sailrocket 2’s record.

Sailrocket 2 achieved the force alignment with a wing mounted on the leeward hull that was canted over the windward hull by 30°. The force it generated was driving the boat forward and trying to lift the windward hull out of the water.

This force was resisted by a foil under the windward hull. And so that foil was pulling down rather than pushing up. It’s a crucial distinction between Sailrocket 2 and the type of foiling craft used in the America’s Cup or SailGP. In those boats, it’s the leeward hydrofoil that pushes back against the sail force. It also lifts the whole boat up and out of the water.

These two breakthrough ideas – force alignment and super-ventilated foils – along with a ‘no guts, no glory’ attitude, took Larsen and his Sailrocket 2 team over 65 knots, a mark that has been held for almost a decade. But might the time have come for that record to be broken?

“I think we’ve sat on it for long enough and it’s definitely time for it to be challenged,” Larsen says. “There was a time I was quite protective and proud of it, and wanted to sit on that throne for a while. But right now I want to see what other people can do with it and see what their solutions might be. I’ll see if it motivates me enough to get back out there myself!”

New fastest sailboat challengers

There are two major challenges shaping up to take on the Sailrocket team’s record and both should take to the water later this year or early in 2023. One of them, Syroco , has been set up by Alex Caizergues, the first man to travel sail-powered at over 100km/h on water, and twice holder of the outright sailing speed record on his kiteboard. The other, SP80 , has come out of the Swiss engineering school École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL).

Kite-powered SP80 challenge uses a super-ventilating surface piercing foil. Photo: SP80

Both are using the principles that Larsen established, and both teams think they won’t just break the record but will smash it. Syroco ’s stated target is 150km/h, a breathtaking 80.99 knots. SP80 is also chasing the 80-knot barrier.

“I actually like where both projects are aiming,” said Larsen. “They’re definitely using the force alignment concept.” Both the SP80 and Syroco teams will use a kite, aligning its aerodynamic force with the hydrodynamic force from a foil. This should allow the generation of an immense drive force on a relatively light structure. They will need all the power they can get to push through the cavitation point.

The SP80 project is also using a super-ventilating, surface piercing foil like Sailrocket’s. “Vestas Sailrocket and the work done by Paul Larsen and his team was the main source of inspiration that we used to develop the boat,” said Benoît Gaudiot, one of the three founders of SP80 .

They started throwing around ideas in 2017, building super-ventilated fins for a kiteboard. Gaudiot, an experience kitespeed sailor quickly got it to 41 knots. They were going to need a different approach to beat the record though.

“The body cannot handle the power that is required to reach more than 60 knots,” said Gaudiot.

SP80 co-founders Xavier Lepercq, Mayeul van den Broek and Benoît Gaudiot. Photo: SP80

Another of the founders, Xavier Lepercq, built a simulation tool, and they started developing designs. What they came up with was a trimaran powered by a kite, whose aligned force was balanced by a surface-piercing foil.

Once this was formulated the team quickly grew, with EPFL pledging its support and sponsors coming on board. “In the team, we have six full-time employees and almost 40 students from EPFL,” explained Mayeul van den Broek, the team’s project manager. They tested a prototype on Lake Geneva in 2020 and in June 2021 began construction of the full-size craft at Persico Marine.

The transition to a kite means that the biggest challenge to both teams is control – accurately balancing the aero and hydrodynamic forces. SP80 has tackled it with what they call the ‘power module’. “The idea behind this is to balance the force. The way we designed the boat, the main thing to achieve was stability,” said Gaudiot.

The exact mechanism of the power module is confidential, but it’s visible at the back of the boat in their visualisations and animations. It provides a direct link between the kite and the hydrofoil and appears to ‘trim’ the hydrofoil depending on the force vector coming from the kite. The shape of the foil and the linkage to the power module are key to the flight stability of the craft.

Swiss SP80 team has been testing its prototype on Lake Geneva. Photo: SP80

“It’s fully mechanical and it’s fully adjusting the balance by itself,” said Gaudiot. “The controls will be quite simple for the pilot. There will be no need for me to control the height, the elevation of the boat, just the direction. And the power of the kite.” The kite lines will run to the cockpit and be controlled with the hands, while the direction of the boat will be controlled with the feet.

The SP80 team plan to challenge the record from a base in the south of France early in 2023, and Paul Larsen is looking forward to it. “I think the SP80 is a more practical solution that has made compromises for practicality. And I think I can get my head around that one a bit more. I think SP80 is probably closer to getting results. And I want to see how a kite’s going to go against the [Sailrocket] wing, because historically wings are faster.”

Flight on water

Looking to spoil the Swiss party is Syroco , a French company that comes to the world sailing speed record with gold-plated credentials. Co-founder and CEO Alex Caizergues has already held the record on his kiteboard.

“Since Paul broke the sailing speed record, I knew that we had to change the software and the way to go fast on water. I knew that I had to assemble around me a team of people able to build this kind of craft,” Caizergues recalls.

Caizergues isn’t just an athlete, he’s a business school graduate with an entrepreneurial track record. Syroco was set up in 2019 with four co-founders and support from technology entrepreneurs and venture capitalists.

Artist’s rendering of how the Syroco craft will look in action. Photo: Syroco

They want to do more than just break the record, building a technology business around the attempt. The team has about 15 people working in Marseille with specialists in fluid mechanics, structures, software and data analytics.

“Our l’aile d’eau concept… it’s a little bit like Sailrocket,” said Caizergues. The concept is very simple; a hydrofoil will ‘fly’ underwater, pulled along by a cable that’s connected to a kite flying in the air above it.

Suspended between the two is a capsule containing the pilot Alex Caizergues, and a co-pilot. The aero and hydrodynamic forces oppose each other in an almost perfect representation of the aligned forces concept that powered Sailrocket 2 .

It should have the greatest speed potential because there is nothing extraneous. The capsule is only there because both the aero and hydrodynamic wings must be controlled, and the forces balanced by the pilots (not automated).

The Syroco prototype under test being towed by a RIB. Photo: Syroco

And that’s the tough part, controlling it, particularly keeping the foil in the water. “Nope,” responds Alex, quickly, when I mention this possibility. “The foil never goes out of the water.” The Syroco foil isn’t surface piercing, it runs below the surface, only connected to the capsule and the kite by a cable.

It doesn’t rely on dragging air from the surface to stabilise the cavitation around the foil. Instead, it will rely on the cavitation creating its own stable pocket of water vapour around the foil – this is called super-cavitation. When it occurs the water flows around the bubble of vapour as though it were a solid, significantly enhancing the performance of the foil – as long as the bubble remains stable.

The problem is keeping the bubble intact. Paul Larsen pointed out that the cable gives the air a pathway down to the super-cavitating foil. “How they’re going to stop air sucking down from the surface and rupturing the bubble, that’s the real trick. It’s a very dynamic problem to solve. It’ll be interesting to see how well their simulations live up to the reality of what they’re about to strap themselves into…”

The control mechanisms for the final craft are still being worked on, but they have flown a prototype, towed by a RIB rigged with a 5m-high mast that simulated the force from the kite. The team hopes to commit to a final design with construction starting in the spring.

Human element

And then of course, there will be the matter of executing the plan on the day. “If you’ve done your maths, you’ve done your engineering, you’ve been thorough, that gives you confidence when you stand up on top of that course on one of those big days and you’re not exactly sure what’s about to happen,” recalls Larsen.

Kiteboarder and businessman Alex Caizergues leads the Syroco project. Photo: Syroco

“You know it’s probably just slightly above your top wind range but all the cameras are rolling and the drones are in the air and everyone’s waiting with their stopwatches. That gives you the confidence to say: ‘Yeah, I’m going to go and wring its neck.’”

“Any crashes I had [and there were several] usually all the systems I had in place [for safety] were still completely locked on among all the wreckage. You’d go and flick off that lever you were going to use to control something – because by the time you’ve realised what’s happening, it’s happened.”

“If we go again with Sailrocket, then safety will feature bigger. I wouldn’t get in that boat and go that speed again. We got away with it because we had to.”

“Safety is really important for us,” agrees Benoît Gaudiot. They have built a kevlar cockpit for protection, installed a six-point harness and an F1-inspired seat. Gaudiot will wear a helmet with oxygen that will switch on if the helmet detects water in contact with its mask. “I would be able to stay in the water for a few minutes to have a diver come and open it.”

“The critical point on the boat is the hydrofoil. If the hydrofoil breaks, the boat…” Van den Broek interjects. “…will take off,” Gaudiot finishes the sentence for him.

Their enthusiasm for the project is infectious, the words tumbling out. And no one wants the boat to take off. One big advantage that they have that Larsen did not, is that they can release the power source. “With a kite it’s a few lines and you can just cut it super-fast,” says Gaudiot. “You can do it by yourself. You can do it from a distance, from the chase boat. You can do it automatically.”

“I think both those guys [Caizergues and Gaudiot], they’ve got the mentality,” said Larsen. “They’re not going to get up there and be scared of what they’re doing or intimidated too much by the craft.”

And what if they do break the record that Paul Larsen and his team have owned for almost a decade?

“We opened the door on a whole new world full of potential. And so there is a part of me that’s curious as to what lies further down that path. We validated the concepts that could get above what people thought were the cavitation limits and the ceilings of speed sailing. We proved you could get beyond that. They can take you to new levels of physics.

“The boat [ Sailrocket 2 ] is sitting there in perfect shape. It was made to last forever… we could rig that thing up and do 65 knots in a week or two.” And if his record goes, I wouldn’t put it past him to dust her off and do just that.

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams. Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

The Worldwide Leader in Sailmaking

• Sail Care & Repair
• Sailing Gear
• Find A Loft
• Sail Finder
• Custom Sails
• One Design Sails
• Flying Sails
• New Sail Quote
• 3Di Technology
• Helix Technology
• Sail Design
• NPL RENEW Sustainable Sailcloth
• Sailcloth & Material Guide
• Polo Shirts
• Sweaters & Cardigans
• Sweatshirts & Hoodies
• Accessories
• Summer Sale
• Shop the look
• Mid & Baselayers
• Deckwear & Footwear
• Luggage & Accessories
• Spring Summer '24
• North Sails x 37th America's Cup
• Sailor Jackets
• SALT X North Sails
• NS x Slowear
• T-shirts & Tops
• Sailor Jacket
• Sustainability
• North Sails Blog
• Sail Like A Girl
• 37th America's Cup
• Icon Sailor Jacket
• Our Locations
• Certified B Corporation
• North SUP Boards
• North Foils
• North Kiteboarding
• North Windsurfing

SAIL FINDER

SAILING GEAR

COLLECTIONS & COLLAB

COLLECTIONS

WE ARE NORTH SAILS

ACTION SPORTS

Popular Search Terms

Organic cotton

Scuba fleece

Drawstring hood

Utility pocket

Stand collar

Sorry, no results for ""

Subscription

Welcome aboard.

We want to make our emails as relevant as possible for you.

Interests saved

Something went wrong, please try again

Welcome to North Sails

Stay up to date with the latest North Sails news.

Receive a 10% discount code for your first apparel order. Excludes sails and SUP’s. See our Terms and Conditions .

Yes, I agree to the terms of use and privacy policy.

470 SPEED GUIDE BY SÎME FANTELA

Who sails the 470.

What does it take to be successful in the 470?

Who does what on the boat, what are the keys to rig set-up, what are the keys to rig tuning.

Upwind Sailing

Where does each person sit on a 470 in light air, what are the key changes in different conditions, what do you focus on when trimming the 470 main, what do you focus on when trimming the 470 jib, what are the key adjustments to make when wind and sea state increase, any other advice about gear changing in a 470, what's the typical conversation between 470 helm and crew.

Downwind Sailing

What 470 spinnaker would you recommend, where does each person sit in a 470 downwind, what are the key adjustments to make sailing downwind, what’s the most important thing about 470 trimming downwind in light air, what’s the most important thing about 470 trimming downwind in heavy air, what is a typical conversation downwind.

• What mode do we want to achieve (high and fast, or low and slow)?
• Is the Oscar flag up so we are allowed to pump?

Any special considerations to sail the 470 well downwind?

Boat Handling

Top three tips to starting a 470 well.

• Try to keep the flow on the rudder and centerboard as long as you can. Once you lose that, it can take some time to attach again.
• Always fight for space down to leeward. If you don't have enough, you're not going to survive the first 100 meters.
• Identify the last possible moment for a double tack. And whether you double-tack or not, know the right time for good acceleration and the right exit angle.

Any tips for 470 downspeed boat handling?

What is the most common mistake when tacking a 470, what does each person do in a tack, key tip for good light-air tacks in a 470, key tip for good heavy-air tacks, key tip for good light-air jibes, key tip for good heavy-air jibes, what’s the best way to set a 470 spinnaker who does what.

• Come in off the trapeze wire.
• Take the spinnaker tack out of the spinnaker bag with one hand, while pulling on the windward barber-hauler/twing with the other hand.
• Hook the pole to the sheet, topping lift, and mast - Jaws up!

What’s the key to a good 470 spinnaker takedown?

Personal Tip: We always have a windward takedown, because we have a storage bag on each side of the boat.

Doing a 720 penalty turn is slow. What are the keys to minimizing the pain?

How easily does the 470 broach or capsize, how do you recover from a 470 capsize, what are the most common boat helming mistakes made in the 470 class, any suggestions for drills to improve 470 boat handling.

GET IN TOUCH

REQUEST A QUOTE

BROWSE ALL SAILS

FIND YOUR SAIL

Featured stories, meet the fresh faces of america's cup design, the long life of a north sail, ntg adds best-in-class sailmakers to its roster of brands.

• Refresh page

Better Sailing

How Fast Can a Sailboat Go?

Are you an adrenaline-seeking sailor? Well, it’s totally comprehensible! The pleasure and satisfaction that speed offers you are unrivaled. Nothing can stimulate you more than the feeling of running on the water. In this article, we’re going to examine the average speed of a sailboat as well as how fast it can go. In order to do this, you should primarily think about the types of activities that you’ll be using your sailboat for. Your sailboat always meets a certain level of expectations when it comes to the type of activities and speed on the water. Above all, there are certain factors that influence the speed of your sailboat. So, don’t speed up now, until you read this article!

Length and Size of The Sailboat

Firstly, let’s examine the connection between your sailboat’s size and its length. In general, the length and power that make a vessel function are affecting the ability of a sailboat to go fast. When sailboats move through the water they create waves. These waves are situated along the side of the sailboat and cause a trough at the stern, as well as a ridge of water at the bow. So, if the length of the waves is somehow equal to the length of the boat, then this causes a huge ridge that impels the sailboat back into its trough. Therefore, this causes the sailboat to collide with a dense wall of water resistance.

So this movement lifts the bow of the sailboat out of the water and speeds up the sailboat. Thus it can overcome the resistance that the waves create. According to the physics law, the longer a sailboat is it will move faster. This is due to the fact that creates longer waves across its hull. On the contrary, shorter sailboats will create shorter waves. In general, sailboats travel according to the speed that waves create.

How Can You Measure a Sailboat’s Speed?

The nautical measurement of speed is the knot. The knot measurement is dependent on the circumference of the Earth. As stated by the World Sailing Speed Record Council, one knot is equal to 1.15 mph. In other words, if your sailboat is traveling at an average speed of 1 nautical mile per hour, it’s cruising at a speed of 1 knot. Modern-day sailboats have GPS tracking devices. These devices can measure the speed of a sailboat as well as the distance that covers.

Efficiency of the Hull

In general, hulls create the wave resistance that creates movement to the sailboat. For that reason, hulls should be carefully shaped and slim. So, a sailboat that has a fat tub-shaped hull will not be as fast as a sailboat with a slim hull. The ability of the hull to be faster depends on its buttock lines or aft. For example, if the straight line from the lowest point of the hull is connected to the transom, then the boat will move faster and will be more stable. So, keep in mind that the hull has an important role in slicing the water and for preventing it to be pushed aside and down.

Are Catamarans Faster Than Monohulls?

Cruising on a catamaran or trimaran is much faster than cruising on a monohull, approximately by 25%. Catamaran sailboats cruise at a speed of 9 to 10 knots. Cats and trimarans are located on top of the water and that’s why they displace a lot of water and thus go faster. Moreover, a catamaran hull is more comfortable to sail on and can also achieve speeds of a racing monohull. However, cats and trimarans have a disadvantage. Their hull is more sensitive to loading and their performances will be decreased when you load them. So, try to keep them as light as possible when sailing.

And, What About Monohulls?

Monohull Sailboats can cruise at a speed of 6 to 8 knots . In general, most sailboats are designed with monohulls. The monohulls placement is designed to split through the water. This provides stability and can easily slice the water.

The wind is definitely a source of propulsion for sailboats. The wind fills up the sails and creates movement to the sailboat. Both apparent and true winds can be of great importance in moving the sailboat. True wind is basically the type of wind you feel when you don’t move. True wind is what pushes a sailboat. Furthermore, strong winds move a sailboat faster than calm winds. This is because of the wind’s direction which alters the speed.

Can I Make my Sailboat go Faster?

Yes, of course, you can improve the speed of your sailboat. In order to do that, make sure that your sailboat is designed to attain high-speed levels. In addition, you have to maintain your sailboat regularly so that it can be able to cruise at maximum speed. Ensure that the hull of your sailboat can hold tension and that its foils are cleaned. Also, don’t forget to tighten the masts and always keep sails in good condition.

Other factors that affect the speed of the sailboat are the techniques you use on your sailboat, the weight , and the adjusted settings . If you’re a skillful sailor then remember that trimming and steering can increase your boat’s speed. Also, it is important to primarily take upwind control. Moreover, you should know how to handle the jibs and genoas. As for the weight of your sailboat, it is recommended to keep your boat as light as possible. To sum up, there are various types of settings that can increase the speed of your sailboat. For example, the mast step position, the vang and shroud tension, as well as the jib car position. All these have to be properly adjusted in order to attain high speed.

Summary – How Fast Can Sailboats Go?

The highest speed of a sailboat depends on different factors, such as its size and purpose. For instance, racing sailboats are intentionally designed to reach maximum speeds. On the contrary, cumbersome and large sailboats may be slower due to friction and drag that cause. So, let’s get to the point, what’s the average speed of a sailboat? The average speed of a sailboat varies between 4 knots to 15 knots but this depends on the type and size of the sailboat, as well as on other factors mentioned before. The average speed of cruising sailboats is 4-6 knots (4.5-7 mph) and can attain a top speed of 7 knots (8 mph). On the other hand, racing sailboats cruise at a speed of 15 knots (17 mph).

Basically, the average speed of sailboats is 8 knots. However, there are several factors that affect the speed such as the waves, wind conditions, and the type of hull. So, in order to attain the desired speed, keep that in mind and you and your sailboat will reach the wind!

Peter is the editor of Better Sailing. He has sailed for countless hours and has maintained his own boats and sailboats for years. After years of trial and error, he decided to start this website to share the knowledge.

Related Posts

Atlantic vs Pacific: Which is More Dangerous for Sailing?

Why Do Sailboats Lean?

How Does a Boat Sail Upwind? Unveiling the Mechanics of Against the Wind Sailing

How Does Sailing Work? The Physics of Sailing

• Buyer's Guide
• Destinations
• Maintenance
• Sailing Info

Hit enter to search or ESC to close.

Boat Speed Calculator

Table of contents

The boat speed calculator determines the top speed of a boat based on the boat's power and displacement . If you wonder how fast a boat can go, this calculator will help you answer that. The calculator also utilizes a constant known as Crouch constant which differs based on the type of the boat.

The formula for the top speed of a boat is used by designers to perform preliminary design analysis of the hulls. This helps in keeping the cost of building a boat in check (visit the boat loan calculator for more). Read on to understand how to calculate the speed of your yacht using Crouch's formula and to know how much horsepower do I need for my boat?

What is boat speed — Calculating using Crouch's formula?

The speed of the boat, in simple words, is how fast it can go. However, unlike land vehicles, this speed is not a ratio of distance and time. The speed of a boat having an engine to deliver P horsepower and displacing D pounds is written as:

where S is the boat speed and C is the Crouch constant. The above equation is known as Crouch's formula.

Note: The formulation and value for the Crouch constant are specific for units such as the speed in miles per hour and displacement in pounds.

💡 Our tools can convert units automatically, but if you'd like to learn how to do these conversions yourself, then our speed conversion and torque to hp calculator could come in handy!

What is displacement?

The displacement for a boat is defined as the volume of water displaced . The volume is then converted to weight. This property of a ship is an application of Archimedes' principle . In other words, the displacement of a boat is its weight. This weight is usually measured in tonnes or pounds. For instance, a modern US Navy Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier displaces about 100,000 tons at its full load, whereas a 17th-century fishing boat displaces only about 13 tons. The tonnage of the ship varies as per its class and purpose.

Keep reading about Archimedes' principle at our Archimedes' principle calculator and find out if an object sinks or floats in a liquid!

Crouch constant

The Crouch constant depends on the type of boat . The constant is applicable to a wide variety of boats, from runabouts to high-speed racing boats. It does not take the hull length into account. The table below has the value of the Crouch constant for different types.

How to calculate boat speed using this calculator?

Follow the steps below to calculate boat speed:

Step 1: Enter the shaft horsepower value, P .

Step 2: Insert the boat's displacement , D .

Step 3: Choose the Crouch constant , C from the list of boat types , or you can directly enter the value.

Step 4: The boat speed calculator will now return the value of boat's top speed.

Example of using the boat speed calculator

Calculate the speed of a racing hydroplane having an engine that delivers 3000 hp and displaces 6800 pounds of water.

To calculate boat speed :

Step 1: Enter shaft horsepower value P = 3000 hp .

Step 2: Insert the boat's displacement , D = 6800 lbs .

Step 3: Choose the Crouch constant , C from the list for hydroplanes, i.e., C = 220 .

Step 4: Using the Crouch's formula: S = √(P / D) × C = √(3000 / 6800) × 220 = 146.13 mph i.e., the speed of the hydroplane is about 146.13 miles per hour.

Alternatively, you can also run this calculator backward to know how much horsepower I need for my boat to achieve a certain speed. Say you want a top speed of 150 miles per hour for your 6,000 lb hydroplane. You can then:

Step 1: Enter top speed value S = 150 mph .

Step 2: Insert the boat's displacement , D = 6000 lbs .

Step 4: The calculator will use Crouch's formula to return the horsepower value as: Power = (P / C)² × D = (150 / 220)² × 6000 = 2789 hp

Therefore, you need an engine to deliver about 2800 hp to take your boat as fast as 150 mph .

How do I calculate a boat's top speed?

To calculate the boat speed:

Divide the power delivered by the boat to the displacement.

Find the square root of the result from step 1.

Multiply by the Crouch constant.

S = √(P / D) × C

What is Crouch's formula?

Crouch's formula is the equation to find the top speed of a boat based on its power P and tonnage D . The speed of the boat, S is given by the equation.

What is the value of Crouch's constant for a racing boat?

A racing boat has the value of Crouch constant around 210 .

What is the value of Crouch's constant for runabout boats?

An average runabout has the value of Crouch constant around 150 whereas it can go up to 190 for high-speed runabouts .

Shaft horsepower (P)

Boat displacement (D)

Crouch's constant (C)

Boat Speed Calculator

Welcome to the Boat Speed Calculator! Have you ever wondered how fast your boat can go or what its maximum speed can be? This calculator is designed to assess the top speed of your boat based on its displacement and power, using a constant factor for different types of boats.

What is boat Speed

Boat speed is defined as how fast a boat can go or what its maximum speed can attain. You may wonder if boat speed is the same as vehicle speed, which is typically the ratio of distance traveled over time, but that is not the case. Boat speed is measured differently.

In the above formula, P represents the power of the boat engine, D represents the water displaced by the boat, and C is a constant factor that varies for different boats. This formula is known as Crouch’s formula.

Formula and Crouch constant

For a boat, the formula S = √(P / D) × C can be used to determine the speed, where:

• S is the speed of the boat.
• P is the power applied to propel the boat.
• D is the drag acting against the boat.
• C is a constant, which in this context is often referred to as the Crouch constant.

In marine engineering, the Crouch constant is used to relate the power and drag to the speed of a boat. This constant varies depending on the hull type, propeller efficiency, and other factors specific to the boat's design and operating conditions.

Determining the Crouch Constant

The Crouch constant C for boats typically has to be determined empirically or taken from established data for similar types of boats. Here is how you can approach determining or using the Crouch constant:

C = S / √(P / D)

Using this method, you can plug in known values of S , P , and D to compute C .

• Reference Values : For certain classes of boats, there might be published values or typical ranges for the Crouch constant. You would need to refer to marine engineering texts, boat design manuals, or empirical studies to find these values.
• Standard Values : For many planing boats, a typical value for the Crouch constant is around 150 to 200 in consistent units (e.g., knots for speed, horsepower for power, and pounds of drag). However, this can vary widely.

Example Calculation

Let's assume we have the following data for a specific boat:

• Speed ( S ) = 20 knots
• Power ( P ) = 300 horsepower
• Drag ( D ) = 500 pounds

First, calculate the ratio P / D :

P / D = 300 hp / 500 lb = 0.6 hp/lb

Next, find √(P / D) :

√(0.6) ≈ 0.775

Now, use the formula to solve for C :

C = S / √(P / D) = 20 knots / 0.775 ≈ 25.8

So, in this example, the Crouch constant C would be approximately 25.8, assuming the units are consistent and appropriate for the formula.

What is Displacement or Drag against the boat (D)

Displacement is the weight of the water that a vessel displaces when it is afloat. It is an indicator of the vessel’s size and volume.

Types of Displacement :

• Lightship Displacement :
• The weight of the vessel without cargo, fuel, or other loads.
• Loaded Displacement : The weight of the vessel with full cargo, fuel, crew, and any other supplies.

Measurement Units : Displacement is typically measured in metric tons (tonnes), kilograms, pounds, or cubic meters (for volume displacement).

Importance : Displacement is crucial for determining a vessel’s stability, buoyancy, and how much cargo or weight it can carry without sinking or floating improperly.

Your source for the latest news on yachts, boats and more. Read through our articles to find out how to compare boats and find the right fit for you!

Calculate your boat top speed with this formula

Jul 03, 2020

less than a min

As a boat owner, you are required or at least expected to have a general knowledge of what a boat speed calculator is, or how a boat speed formula works. This information is important in order to know the capacity of your vessel and what it is worth. 

Whether it is a catamaran that you have, a yacht or a sailboat, it is always safer to figure out how fast you can go on water through a boat top speed calculator . Knowing this information can help you look after your boat better, as well as advertise it properly if you want to sell it. Most importantly, however, by figuring out the top speed of your boat you can travel within the limits and always have a safe voyage. 

Generally, there are many factors that affect a boat’s top speed. This makes it hard to determine the proper and accurate highest speed. However, different formulas have been generated to help in this task. They allow boat owners to create an idea of how fast their vessel is and how much they can push it on water. One of these formulas is as below:

Boat Speed = The Square Root of ( Shaft Horsepower /  Weight ) x Constant

Understanding the boat top speed calculator

In today’s digitally advanced world it is very easy to calculate how fast your vessel can go through various online boat speed calculators . Using a boat speed formula, however, allows you to be more precise when inserting the factors and the data pertaining to your own boat. It might be a longer and more complex method of calculation but it will give you the best results. 

When using the above boat speed formula bear in mind that:

• The weight is the actual running weight, including anything on the boat from the crew to the engine and fuel.
• The shaft horsepower is determined as the engine horsepower without the losses of the drive train.
• The constant , on the other hand, are typically calculated from private tests. 

Another simple way to calculate the boat top speed or also known as the hull speed is by using this boat speed formula:

Boat Speed = 1.34 x The Square Root of Waterline Length

The waterline length is measured in feet while the boat speed is calculated in knots. 

By knowing the top speed of boats, you can then compare different vessels and decide which one is worth buying. In addition, if you are looking to sell your boat, you can negotiate a better price by having all the information in front of you. You can also use TheBoatDB to search and compare boats in order to make an informed decision before making a purchase or a sale. 

You might like these too

Sailboat or Motorboat – Learn the pros and cons lg ...

Aug 24, 2022

Types of Catamaran Boats: Sailing, Power, and Luxury Catamarans lg ...

Feb 10, 2023

Which is better a wooden boat or fiberglass boat lg ...

What are the main types of sail rigs for sailboats lg ...

Which is the Best Economical Catamaran lg ...

Oct 04, 2021

What is a Chine on a Boat lg ...

Oct 01, 2021

How Fast Do Catamarans Go?

Last Updated by

Daniel Wade

August 30, 2022

‍ Catamarans are known for their speed, and some vessels are fast enough to break world sailing speed records.

Catamarans can go between 15 and 30 knots, with the fastest achieving speeds well in excess of 60 knots. Sailing catamarans are sometimes twice as fast as monohulls and cut through the water with greater efficiency.

In this article, we’ll cover how fast catamarans can go based on factors such as size, sail area, and design category. Additionally, we’ll compare catamaran speeds to monohulls and trimarans and cover the reasons why multi-hull sailboats blow monohulls out of the water.

We sourced the information used in this article from sailing guides and hull speed calculations. Additionally, we sourced information directly from the manufacturers of common catamarans.

Table of contents

‍ Catamaran Speed by Type

Catamaran design can be split into different categories. After all, different vessels are designed for different tasks, as speed isn’t always the most important design consideration.

The fastest type of catamaran is the ultralight racing catamaran. These vessels have extremely narrow hulls and a remarkable planing ability. They’re designed to pierce waves and often achieve speeds in excess of 45 knots or greater, depending on conditions.

The second fastest catamaran variety is the sport catamaran. Sport catamarans often include a fairly good level of creature comforts in the cabin. They’re technically hybrid designs, because they are envisioned as a combination between a racer and a cruiser. Sport catamarans can achieve 30 knots or greater.

Cruising catamarans are designed primarily for safety and comfort. They’re often used for long offshore passages, where speed is important, but comfort is king. Despite their accommodations, cruising catamarans can still achieve a respectable 15 to 20 knots of speed—sometimes 50% faster than similarly-equipped monohulls.

Why are Catamarans So Fast?

Catamarans are remarkable vessels that can achieve amazing speeds. As a result of their unconventional design, typical calculations for hull speed (such as those used for monohulls) don’t always apply.

But what makes catamarans so much faster than equivalent monohulls? The first and most obvious speedy design element are the hulls themselves.

Catamarans don’t have a deep keel or a centerboard. This is because the second hull acts as a stabilizing device, and it helps the vessel track straight. The lack of a keel reduces weight (and equally important). It also reduces drag.

Additionally, catamarans behave in strange ways while underway. The hulls have a tendency to rise out of the water further the faster they go. This further reduces drag and makes it easier for the vessel’s speed to climb once it starts to move.

One additional characteristic is how the vessel’s sails point relative to the wind. Catamarans keep their sails perpendicular to the wind, which allows them to harness energy more efficiently. This is because, at a perpendicular angle, less wind energy is lost by spillage over the edge of the sails.

Are Catamarans Faster than Monohulls?

Yes, catamarans are typically faster than monohulls. They’re also a lot more stable, as their spaced-out hulls provide better motion comfort in rough seas. Catamaran hulls are narrower than monohulls, which also reduces drag and increases speed.

Catamaran vs. Monohull Speeds

We know that catamarans are faster than monohulls in most situations. But how much faster are they? Here’s a table of hull speeds for monohulls, which is a useful reference when comparing speed. Hull speed isn’t the absolute fastest that a boat can go, but it’s a good practical estimate for understanding the hydrodynamic limitations of single-hull designs.

Hull speed calculations for catamarans are more complicated. This is because catamarans have a greater length-to-beam ratio. And due to their narrow hulls and open center, they aren’t affected by the same hydrodynamic drag forces that monohulls are limited by.

For example, a 55-foot monohull sailboat with a waterline length has a hull speed of 9.4 knots or 10.9 mph. Its actual speed could exceed that in the right conditions, but rarely by more than a few knots.

Compare that to an efficient 51-foot catamaran, which can easily achieve speeds in excess of 20 knots in reasonable winds. That’s more than double the hull speed of a monohull with a similar waterline length and proves that catamarans operate under a completely different set of rules.

Wave Piercing

One aspect of catamaran design that makes them superior speeders is their ability to pierce waves. Specially designed catamarans have minimal buoyancy at the bow, which allows them to slice through waves instead of going over them.

This increases the speed at which catamarans can cover the distance. Think about it—a boat going over a wave has to use more energy to reach the same destination, as the height of the wave almost makes the distance further.

It’s like walking over a hill or on flat ground—you’ll take more steps walking up and down the hill than in a straight flat line. Wave piercing catamarans enjoy better stability, and they ‘take the flat road’ to a greater extent than monohulls.

Do Catamarans Plane?

Planing is when a boat’s hull rises out of the water due to hydrodynamic lift. This increases speed and efficiency, as there’s less drag but sufficient contact for stability. It also reduces rolling, as the bow only contacts the taller portions of the waves.

Catamarans have planing characteristics, but they generally don’t plane as dramatically as powerboats. This is still worth noting, as catamarans are specifically designed to use the phenomenon of hydrodynamic lift to gain speed and efficiency.

You’ll visibly notice a catamaran’s hull rising out of the water as it increases in speed. Compare that to a displacement monohull design (such as a classical cruising sailboat with a deep keel), which won’t rise out of the water in any significant way.

Are Catamarans Faster than Trimarans?

A trimaran is a catamaran with an additional hull in the center. Trimarans are usually less common than catamarans, but they have some of the same design benefits as other multi-hull sailboats.

At first glance, it would seem logical that trimarans are slower than catamarans. After all, they have an extra hull in the center, which likely increases weight and drag. However, there are more important factors at play here.

Trimarans are almost universally faster than catamarans. This has to do with weight distribution. Trimarans center their weight over the middle hull, using the outer hulls primarily for stability. This allows them to reap the benefits of a catamaran while increasing the efficiency of the wind power it captures.

Fastest Catamarans

Catamarans are popular for racing. There are several world records held by catamarans and numerous production boats with especially impressive speed-to-size ratios. Here are a few of the fastest racing and production catamarans ever built.

Fastest Sailboat Ever—Vestas Sailrocket 2

The Vestas Sailrocket is a specialized racing boat designed only for speed. This incredible vessel is actually the fastest sailboat ever built—and no wonder it’s a catamaran. A monohull simply can’t achieve record-breaking speeds when put head-to-head with a lightweight multi-hull.

The vessel, which earned the world sailboat speed record in 2012, has a modest 150 to 235 square feet of sail. Nonetheless, it managed to achieve a remarkable top speed of 65.45 knots in only 25 knots of wind. That’s about 72 miles per hour—in a sailboat.

Soon, a team of Swiss engineers will release their own version designed to beat the 65-knot speed record. Their vessel, which is a hydrofoil, will attempt to hit an incredible target speed of about 80 knots.

Outremer Catamarans

But what about production catamarans? How do they stack up, and how fast can they go? French boat builder Outremer Catamarans builds some of the fastest production catamarans ever built. These are not specialty racing boats—in fact, they’re average-sized cruising catamarans.

Let’s use the larger Outremer 51 as an example. This high-end cruising cat is known for its almost outrageous speed capabilities. In ideal conditions, owners of the Outremer 51 have reported speeds exceeding 20 knots for extended periods.

That’s a production catamaran with speeds that rival 20th-century warships. With such a fast boat, the world’s oceans start to appear a lot smaller. Plus, the genius design of the Outremer 51 allows it to be crewed by just two people.

But how do Outremer catamarans achieve such high speeds? The secret is in precise engineering and hull design, along with a sail plan that’s perfectly catered to the vessel. The hulls are sleek and narrow and designed to cut through the water with minimal drag.

From the bow, the Outremer 51 hulls look paper-thin. They increase in width gradually, which eliminates areas of sudden drag. These narrow hulls evenly distribute the vessel’s 21,825-lb displacement. Its low-buoyancy bows reduce drag and blast through waves instead of riding over them.

Related Articles

I've personally had thousands of questions about sailing and sailboats over the years. As I learn and experience sailing, and the community, I share the answers that work and make sense to me, here on Life of Sailing.

by this author

Learn About Sailboats

Most Recent

What Does "Sailing By The Lee" Mean?

October 3, 2023

The Best Sailing Schools And Programs: Reviews & Ratings

September 26, 2023

Important Legal Info

Lifeofsailing.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies.

Similar Posts

Affordable Sailboats You Can Build at Home

September 13, 2023

Best Small Sailboat Ornaments

September 12, 2023

Discover the Magic of Hydrofoil Sailboats

December 11, 2023

Popular Posts

Best Liveaboard Catamaran Sailboats

December 28, 2023

Can a Novice Sail Around the World?

Elizabeth O'Malley

June 15, 2022

4 Best Electric Outboard Motors

How Long Did It Take The Vikings To Sail To England?

10 Best Sailboat Brands (And Why)

December 20, 2023

7 Best Places To Liveaboard A Sailboat

Get the best sailing content.

Top Rated Posts

Lifeofsailing.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. (866) 342-SAIL

© 2024 Life of Sailing Email: [email protected] Address: 11816 Inwood Rd #3024 Dallas, TX 75244 Disclaimer Privacy Policy

How Fast Do Boats Go? (20 Boat Types Checked)

Just like cars, there are many factors that go into determining the top speed each boat can go. The shape, engine, hull material and weight all play a significant role in determining the top speed. However, in this article, we will break down all the different boat types and explain how fast you should expect them to be able to go.

Most boats will go about 30-60 mph. Generally, boats such as pontoon boats, cabin cruisers, yachts, and trawlers have a top speed closer to 30 mph or less. Other boat types such as bass boats, ski boats, center consoles, and cuddy cabins will go closer to 60 mph or more.

Other boat types such as sailboats, dingies, and tug boats usually will only reach speeds of 10-20 mph. While jet skis, go-fast boats, and some bass boats can reach speeds of 55-100 mph.

Table of Contents

20 different boat types and how fast they go

Related article: How Fast Are Jet Skis? (12 Examples Included)

What are the factors that determine how fast a boat can go?

As you can see, the speed of a boat can be drastically different, even ones of the same type. There are many factors that determine speed, such as engine horsepower, drive type, boat shape, boat weight, trim tabs, weather conditions, and more. However, in this article, we’re going to simplify it to the four that affect the boat the most.

1. Engine Horsepower

The amount of force propelling your boat forward is the number one factor that affects the speed of your boat. The more horsepower you have, the faster your boat will go. However, manufacturers set a limit to how much horsepower you can have depending on each type of boat they make.

This means many boat types are limited to only the speed they can reach with the maximum amount of horsepower allowed (which is usually plenty of speed).

Many times larger boats will put multiple engines in the back of their boat in order to get more power and travel faster, as shown in the image below.

2. Drive/engine type

There are generally three different types of boat engine types. These are outboards, inboards, and stern drives. Generally, outboards are the lightest, so they tend to be able to move a boat slightly faster than the other engine types. However, you can have more horsepower per engine with inboard and sterndrive engines.

The only thing that really affects the speed is the drive type. These consist of a jet drive, I/O, straight shaft, and V-drives.

Generally, jet drives lose the most amount of horsepower when transferring power from the engine to the jet. This means that a propeller-powered boat with a 200-horsepower engine may need to have a 250-300 horsepower engine to go the same speed at full throttle if it were jet drive.

Stern drives come in second when it comes to power loss. They lose about 10%-15% of the engine horsepower when converting it into the propeller. This is because they have to redirect power twice.

V-drive next, they lose about 6%-15%. This is because of the extra joint they need in order to transfer the drive shaft to the correct position. This causes them to have to redirect power at almost a 180-degree angle.

Straight shaft drives are the most efficient at turning engine horsepower into power for the propeller (this means they are the fastest considering engines with the same horsepower). This is because there are no areas where there needs to be power redirected. The drivetrain goes directly from the engine to the propeller.

3. Boat weight

Obviously, the heavier the boat, the slower it’s going to go with the same engine. So many manufacturers try to make their boats as light as possible, especially if they’re building a boat for speed, such as go-fast catamarans.

Aluminum boats weigh less than fiberglass boats, which means aluminum boats of the same size and same engine will generally go faster than fiberglass boats. However, most aluminum boats have an engine horsepower limit that is much lower than fiberglass boats, meaning they generally end up only being able to go the same speed due to power limits.

4. Boat shape

The design and shape of a boat play a big part in how fast it can go. The more surface area in the water, the more drag a boat will have against the water and the slower it will go. This is why many boats designed for speed will be designed to be very narrow or with catamarans such as the image below:

Meanwhile, boats that don’t care for speed and instead opt for more cargo or living space tend to have much wider hulls and lower drafts. Here is an example of such:

Boat speed calculator

If you know the weight, horsepower, and type of boat, you can get a good estimate of how fast it can go. You can do this by using this boat speed calculator from omnicalculator.com.

They make it really easy to just put in the information, and it will give you an estimate that should be very close to the speed your boat will be able to reach.

For example, I put in the information for my Sea-Doo Fish Pro Scout jet ski, which goes about 52-55 mph at full throttle. The calculator predicted, 57.01 mph, which still could have been my fault as its hard to predict the exact wet weight of the jet ski. You can see this in the image below:

Does speed feel faster when you’re on a boat compared to a vehicle on land?

The quick answer to this is, absolutely it does. When you’re on a boat, your open to the wind and water blistering past you as you pick up speed. This makes everything seem faster than on land. Even if you’re in an enclosed boat, the feel of cutting through water and bouncing to waves makes you feel more vulnerable when compared to being in a car, which means you feel as if you are going faster.

One thing to note is that the smaller your boat is, the faster you will feel like you are going. Going 40 mph in a big enclosed cabin cruiser may seem faster than in a car, but it doesn’t even compare to the feeling of going 40 mph on a jet ski.

The fact that some jet skis can reach 70 mph is absolutely astonishing. On my Sea-Doo jet ski, it’s hard to go any faster than 40 mph because I feel one bad wave will bump me off the thing if I go any faster. I couldn’t even imagine 70 mph.

Why would you need speed for a boat?

Although it’s fun and all to go fast on the water, for most of us, it’s really not necessary. Generally, it’s going to cost more for boats that go faster, when you could easily get a similar boat that goes a little slower for much cheaper. That being said, here are the main reasons you would want a boat that is fast:

• You fish in tournaments and need to get to fishing spots as quickly as possible
• You want to partake in a poker run
• You need to travel long distances every time you take your boat out
• You just enjoy going fast

Although many people max out the horsepower they are allowed to put on their boat (some even add more than what they are allowed to) to make it as fast as possible, is that really worth it to you? Believe me, 50 mph is plenty of speed for any boat type as long as you don’t absolutely need to go any faster than that.

• Recent Posts

• What Is The Cheapest Way To Store A Boat? - February 28, 2023
• Do Boats Need Bottom Paint? (Uncovering the Truth) - February 2, 2023
• How Much Is Bass Boat Insurance? (Real Quotes) - January 18, 2023

• Pontoon Boats
• Personal Watercraft
• nauticalknowhow
• Nautical Knots
• Tools and Calculators

Boat Speed Calculator

Most of us want to know our boat’s top speed but don’t know how to calculate it. And, just as likely, we don’t think we need to. GPS is a good way to figure out your boat speed with no effort. It does all the work for you with just a glance. But it’s not always going to be available, especially if there’s a service disruption or an issue with your power. Plus, what if you want to know before you get on the water? Fortunately, calculating boat speed doesn’t have to be that hard. Let’s take a look at what you need to know.

The Basics of Calculating Boat Speed

You’ll need to know a handful of factors when calculating boat speed. This is why most of us don’t like to calculate it ourselves. And why a calculator tool is so much more helpful. However, we thinking knowing the basics behind how and why the calculator works is important, too. Even if you never need to write it out by hand.

You’ll need to know your boat’s shaft horsepower as well as its displacement. You’ll also need to include Crouch’s constant which varies based on the kind of boat we’re talking about. This number is something boat designers use when designing hull types. For instance, average runabouts have a Crouch constant of 150. A racing catamaran can be up to 230. High speed runabouts will be 190.

Horsepower works out to 550 foot-pounds per second. That equals 746 watts of energy. A number of factors affect how much horsepower is ideal for your boat. It relates to size and hull shape as much as everything else does. The general rule of thumb for horsepower is that for each horsepower you need about 5 to 40 pounds of weight. Too little horsepower and you can burn your engine out far too quickly. Too much horsepower can be dangerous. In fact, every boat is required to have a maximum horsepower rating. If you swap out your outboard motor for a more powerful one you risk damaging the boat, losing control, and worse. When it comes to HP, bigger is not always better.

Displacement

Displacement refers to the volume of water your boat displaces. This is then converted to weight to, in practical terms, you can consider displacement the boat’s weight. A racing hydroplane might displace 6700 lbs, for instance.

A Speed Calculation Example

Speed = square root of (horsepower/displacement) X Crouch Constant

Let’s take a look at an example to get a better idea with a smaller boat.

Speed = square root of ( 50 hp/800 lb) X 150

Speed = 37.5 mph

In a pinch you can work this out on your own with a pen and paper. Or, more likely, the calculator on your phone. A calculator tool makes it super easy, of course. But if you’re ever in a pinch with no power handy, it’s good to know the math behind it.

Horsepower Calculations

Another big concern for many boaters deals with horsepower. Like we said earlier, you need to have the right amount of horsepower for your boat. Too little is a struggle that can burn your engine. Too much can damage the boat and lead to accidents.

Remember, when your boat was designed, it was designed with these calculations in mind. The hull and transom are meant to support only a certain amount of pressure and weight. Even a small increase in horsepower can dramatically increase the pressure on your hull. It will also increase the torque on your transom. If it goes too far beyond manufacturer recommendations you could collapse the hull entirely.

Does this mean you can never exceed the horsepower rating of your hull? Not exactly. Accommodations need to be made. You would have to reinforce the hull and transom to handle the higher horsepower. Obviously we’re into some heavy work at this point. If you’re not sure right now how to reinforce a boat hull, you may want to stay within the established limits. Another thing to consider is whether or not you have a self-draining cockpit. A new engine could throw off the balance of your boat. That could make water enter the scuppers and soak the boat.

If you need to buy a new engine you can calculate the horsepower using the same formula. That’s the beauty of any math formula, you can solve for any single number in the equation if you know the others. So, if you want to know horsepower to achieve your desired top speed, do a reverse calculation. Let’s say in this case you want your boat to hit 50 miles per hour.

Horsepower = (speed/ crouch) squared x displacement

HP = (50/150) squared x 800

In this case, with your small boat displacing 800 lbs, if you want to reach 50 miles per hour, then you need a 90 hp engine.

One thing to remember about upgrading an engine is weight. Usually, a higher horsepower engine is also going to be heavier. The change in displacement obviously changes the figures. That said, it’s not always the case. Many modern engines do a very good job of keeping weight down.

What About Hull Speed?

Another formula for calculating hull speed for a displacement hull you might see is fairly simple. This one does not require as many numbers but also doesn’t give you the most accurate answer. The formula is

1.34 x the square root of the waterline length in feet, or 2.43 x the square root of the waterline length in meters.

For example, if you had a 16 foot boat, the square root is 4. So the formula would be 1.34 X 4 = 5.46 knots.

1 knot equals about 1.15 miles per hour so you can calculate this to mph if that’s easier for you. That takes you to 6.3 miles per hour, give or take.

This is the theoretical top speed of the vessel. That said, many factors can get in your way. How much horsepower you have, propeller slip, the condition of your boat and more alter this. Even water conditions and hull cleanliness can change your top speed.

Doesn’t Waterline Length Change?

Why does this formula exist and the other formula as well? This calculation is older and not as accurate. For instance, your waterline length can actually change as your speed increases. Thus, the accuracy is very suspect. Plus, when you add power sufficient enough to overcome hull drag, this number no longer applies. That means when you’re using your motor for propulsion, our original equation is far more useful. This one here is really more something you should be aware of. You may find it when you Google boat speeds and wonder why the different formulas exist. Even boat manufacturers ignore this calculation these days. It just doesn’t apply to modern boat making in any reasonable way.

Insurance Issues

A final note you might want to consider if you’re looking to soup up your boat. Let’s say you can get a higher horsepower engine and really boost your overall speed. That can be fun if you do it safely and, of course, safety is the number one concern. But there is another issue that may make you think twice. At the very least you’ll want to research it further to make sure it’s not a problem. Insurance.

Check with your insurance company before installing a new engine, especially if it boosts the horsepower. If you go past what the manufacturer recommended, you could be in trouble. If an accident occurs your insurance company may deny a claim.

Worse, if you are in an accident with an overpowered engine, the fault could automatically become yours. You may be considered responsible or negligent for damage caused as a result. Your insurance will not cover you and the result could be lawsuits coming your way. As such, check with any state boating regulations before you commit to anything. No sense spending time and money on something you can’t or shouldn’t do.

The Bottom Line

Knowing how to calculate horsepower and boat speed is a very useful skill. Having a handy calculator is also worthwhile. This allows you to get a better idea of how long any trip will take, how much weight your vessel can carry, and more. Plus, let’s be honest, it’s kind of cool.

My grandfather first took me fishing when I was too young to actually hold up a rod on my own. As an avid camper, hiker, and nature enthusiast I'm always looking for a new adventure.

Categories : Tools and Calculators

Craig Dahlke on March 19, 2022

Great article. In the late 1970’s I drove a recitative’s 8′ hydroplane that had a 40hp Mercury. I kneeled on the floor, and it had a dead man’s throttle. It was the fastest boat I have been in. Roughly how fast could this hydroplane go? Craig

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

More in Tools and Calculators

Boat Distance Calculator

How Water Pressure Works: Water Pressure Calculator Included

TVMDC Explained

Distance, speed, time worksheet.

The People’s Poncho Review and Ratings 

Oru Lake Kayak Review

What Is A Gunwale?

131 of the Best Hawaiian Boat Names

167 Patriotic Boat Names

About boatsafe.

Established in 1998, BoatSafe is your independent guide into the world of boating, fishing, and watersports. We provide expert insights and detailed guides to help you find products tailored to your needs and budget.

Contact Boatsafe

• Address: 4021 West Walnut Street. Rogers, AR 72756
• Phone:  (479)339-4795
• Email: [email protected]

Site Navigation

• How We Test
• Corrections Policy
• Privacy Policy
• Terms & Conditions
• Editorial Policy
• Affiliate Disclosure

Our Reviews

All content is © Copyright 2024. All rights reserved.