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The top 10 fastest superyachts in the world

Despite their larger size, superyachts can still reach an impressive speed on the water – as this official list of the world’s fastest superyachts shows. For now, the list is topped by 41.5 metre Foners as the world’s speediest superyacht. Able to reach top speeds of 70 knots – equivalent to 80 miles per hour – the Izar-built yacht has been outpacing her contenders for more than 20 years. But her challengers are not far behind. For adrenaline-seekers with a need for speed, get your pulses racing with our definitive list of the quickest superyachts on the water.

Foners | 70.1 knots

Clocking in at a thrilling 70.10 knots, the 41.5 metre Foners has raced to the top spot as the world’s fastest superyacht. She’s been difficult to catch up with, having maintained her position for over 20 years since her delivery in 2000. 

Her zippy speed is produced by two 1,280hp MAN engines coupled with three Rolls Royce 6,700hp gas turbines that drive three KaMeWa water jets. But she is not just about speed; her interior, designed by Studio Spadolini is quite literally fit for a king. Originally built by Spanish shipyard Izar as the King of Spain’s royal yacht , the DLBA-designed Foners features interiors finished in elegant gloss sycamore wood panelling with stitched tan leather detailing. She can accommodate eight guests and six crew on board, and her superstructure has been lined with Aramid fibre for the express purpose of making it bullet proof. There is a formal dining room indoors, while the deck spaces are vast offering plenty of opportunities for al fresco entertaining. At a cruising speed of 12 knots, she has a range of 1,800 nautical miles.

• Builder: Izar
• Country of build: Spain
• Delivery year: 2000
• Length Overall: 41.5 m
• Beam: 9.2 m
• Gross Tonnage 180 t

More about this yacht

More stories, world is not enough | 67 knots.

World Is Not Enough comes second to Foners by just a fraction, able to reach a respectable top speed of 67 knots. She was delivered in 2004 by Millenium Super Yachts and designed by Dutch naval architect Frank Mulder . She is propelled by two Paxman diesel engines and two Lycoming gas turbines, producing a staggering 20,600hp. She also boasts an impressive cruising range of 3800 nautical miles at a comfortable speed of 10 knots.

World Is Not Enough measures 42.4 metres LOA and can accommodate 10 guests on board in five luxurious cabins, along with seven crew members. When not ploughing through the waves at full throttle, she offers plenty of space for relaxation, with al fresco dining and lounge spaces available on all decks and an additional formal dining space and bar indoors. Her interiors have been designed in a classic style by Evan K Marshall and feature marble finishes, opulent mirrors and glossy wood panelling. She was last refitted in 2011.

• Builder: Neptunus - Millennium
• Country of build: Netherlands
• Delivery year: 2004
• Length Overall: 42.4 m
• Beam: 8.25 m
• Gross Tonnage 291 t

Destriero | 66 knots

In third place is the 68.18 metre Destriero . Launched in 1991, she was built by Italian shipyard Fincantieri to a design by Donald Blount and Pininfarina . Powered by a Codag engine with three GE Aviation LM1600 gas turbines totalling 54,000hp, she is able to reach a top speed a 66 knots. The construction of Destriero was sponsored by Aga Khan IV for the purpose of achieving the Blue Riband, a record awarded to the fastest vessel to cross the Atlantic Ocean.

Shortly after her launch, Destriero crossed the Atlantic in 1992 twice without refuelling. Her first westbound voyage took her from Tarifa Point in Spain to Ambrose Light in New York. The return voyage saw her travel from Ambrose Light to Bishop Rock in the Isles of Scilly, a total distance of 3,106 nautical miles which she covered at an average speed of 53.09 knots and completed in a record time of 58 hours, 34 minutes and 5 seconds. Although Destriero was ultimately denied the Blue Riband’s Hales Trophy on the basis that the award can only be given to passenger vessels and not private yachts, she did receive the Virgin Atlantic Challenge Trophy awarded by former record-holder Richard Branson for the fastest crossing by any vessel. She also won the Columbus Atlantic Trophy sponsored by the Costa Smeralda and New York Yacht Clubs for the fastest trans-Atlantic round-trip.

• Builder: Fincantieri
• Country of build: Italy
• Delivery year: 1991
• Length Overall: 68.18 m
• Beam: 12.91 m
• Gross Tonnage 1376 t

Galeocerdo | 65 Knots

The sleek lines and futuristic design of Rodriquez Yachts’ Galeocerdo is the result of exhaustive research and design development programme by Wally founder Luca Bassani. Created with the aim of maintaining high speeds in rough seas, the 36-metre Wally Power 118 superyacht was launched in 2003 following tank testing at the SSPA facility in Goteborg, Sweden, and wind tunnel testing at the Ferrari facility in Maranello, Italy. Lazzarini Pickering Architetti and Intermarine also collobroated on the design of Galeocredo.

Galeocerdo is driven to a top speed of 65 knots by three Vericor TF50 gas turbines, each driving a Rolls-Royce Kamewa water jet. The titanium exhaust system is lightweight while extremely resistant to the high temperatures generated by the gas turbines, and can muster up to 16,800hp. At a cruising speed of 45 knots, she can cover a range of 1,500 nautical miles. Her interiors offer room for six guests and six crew on board.

• Builder: Rodriquez Yachts
• Delivery year: 2003
• Length Overall: 36 m

Gentry Eagle | 63.5 knots

Gentry Eagle was built by Vosper Thornycroft and launched in 1988 for the late Tom Gentry, who set nearly every powerboat speed record in existence during his lifetime. His passion to win powerboating's most coveted honour, the Blue Riband for the fastest passage across the Atlantic, drove him to commission the 34.1 metre Gentry Eagle , capable of 63.5 knots. She was designed by Peter Birkett and Grant Robinson , and her interiors by Robin Rose can host six guests and four members of crew.

In 1989, he finally won the Blue Riband on board Gentry Eagle . His record time of 62 hours and seven minutes beat Richard Branson's previous record by an astonishing 23 per cent. Gentry Eagle was relaunched as a private superyacht in 1992.

• Builder: Vosper Thornycroft
• Country of build: United Kingdom
• Delivery year: 1988
• Length Overall: 35.66 m
• Beam: 7.32 m
• Gross Tonnage 166 t

Kereon | 62.3 Knots

Launched in 2004 by Italian yard AB Yachts, Kereon can blast through waves at a top speed of 62.3 knots. This punchy performance is made possible by a triple 6,300hp CRM diesel engine set-up fitted to a fast planing hull designed by naval architect Angelo Arnaboldi . Inside Kereon can accommodate up to six guests in three cabins, while her 12,000 litre fuel tank means a maximum range of 900 nautical miles is possible at her fast cruising speed of 50 knots. The 35.66 metre superyacht features sharp exterior lines and a distinctive metallic silver superstructure that contribute to her sporty allure.

• Builder: AB Yachts - Next Yacht Group
• Length Overall: 27 m
• Beam: 6.4 m

Oci Ciornie | 60 Knots

Prolific naval architect Don Shead teamed up with American yard Palmer Johnson and Dutch shipbuilders Vripack in 1998 to create Oci Ciornie . This aluminium-hulled speed machine was fitted with twin 1,800hp MTU 16V 2000 M90 engines, a 4,600hp AVCO Lycoming gas turbine and Arneson surface drives for a staggering top speed of 60 knots.

Her interiors can accommodate up to eight guests in three cabins consisting of a master suite, double cabin and twin room with a pair of pullman berths. The deck saloon and forward outside spaces are all located on one level for a streamlined look, and the interior of the main saloon takes design cues from vintage aircraft design. The 25 metre superyacht can also accommodate two crew on board.

• Builder: Palmer Johnson
• Country of build: United States of America
• Delivery year: 1998
• Length Overall: 25 m
• Beam: 6.22 m

Jet Ruban Bleu | 60 knots

In 10th place, but still neck-and-neck with Brave Challenger , Azimut Atlantic Challenger and OCI Ciorinie is the 25 metre Jet Ruban Bleu . Delivered in 1990 by Multiplast , and designed by Gilles Ollier together with Coste Design & Partners , she is powered by a single MTU 3,500hp engine and can reach a top speed of 60 knots. At a speed of 50 knots she has a cruising range of 3,000 nautical miles. She features a planing GRP hull and superstructure, with her decks also constructed from GRP.

• Builder: Multiplast
• Country of build: France
• Delivery year: 1990
• Beam: 4.39 m

Brave Challenger | 60 Knots

Powered by three Rolls-Royce Proteus gas turbines totalling 13,500hp, the 31 metre Brave Challenger has proven top speeds of over 60 knots and can achieve higher speeds using its alternative Vosper-developed high-speed propellers.

Built by Vosper Ltd in Portsmouth in 1961, Brave Challenger is the only surviving example of the Brave Class fast-patrol design that was designed and built for the Royal Navy. Built alongside the Royal Navy’s HMS Brave Borderer and HMS Brave Swordsman , Brave Challenger was completed with a special consent of the Admiralty and Royal Navy to be equipped for private use.

First acquired by owner W.G. Haydon-Baillie in 1979, Brave Challenger was rebuilt to flagship standard at a purpose-built facility as part of the Haydon-Baillie Aircraft and Naval Collection in Southampton over a period of 10 years and 2.2 million man hours from 1979 – 1989. From 2017 – 2021, Brave Challenger has been undergoing a full restoration by the Haydon-Baillie Maritime Heritage Team at the superyacht refit yard Trafalgar Shipyard in Portsmouth. Its dedicated support base now includes 54 spare Rolls-Royce Proteus gas turbine engines, extensive spares, 10 spare V-Drive gearboxes and 12 spare propellers.

"Brave Challenger ’s speed of 60 knots+ was officially recorded under Lloyds Supervision over the Measured Mile off Portsmouth, UK, - and is fully repeatable at all times as part of its design and everyday operating potential," according to owner W.G Haydon-Baillie. "It is often considered that only the fastest yacht speeds that are officially recorded and are not one-off events - and are fully repeatable as part of the yacht's design and everyday operating potential are relevant to include in the top ten fastest claims."

• Builder: Vosper
• Delivery year: 1960
• Length Overall: 31.39 m
• Gross Tonnage 209 t

Azimut Atlantic Challenger | 60 knots

Designed purely for the purposes of collecting the Blue Riband award, the Azimut Atlantic Challenger was launched by Benetti in 1988 with exterior details by Pininfarina . The 26.82 metre aluminium monohull can reach a top speed of 60 knots under the power of four CRM diesel engines offering 7,400hp. At a cruising speed of 40 knots, she has a range of 3,000 nautical miles. Unfortunately, her attempt to procure the Blue Riband shortly after her launch in 1988 but was ultimately fruitless.

• Builder: Benetti
• Length Overall: 26.82 m
• Beam: 7.5 m

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Published on October 24th, 2018 | by Editor

New 60-foot monohull 24 hour record

Published on October 24th, 2018 by Editor -->

The World Sailing Speed Record Council has ratified a new 60-foot monohull 24 hour record set by Alex Thomson (GBR) on his IMOCA Hugo Boss. Thomson covered a distance of 539.71nm (22.49 knot avg) on July 19-20, 2018. Thomson beat his previous record set in 2017 of 536.81nm.

Source: WSSRC

Tags: Alex Thomson , HUGO BOSS , records , World Sailing Speed Record Council , WSSRC

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The Fastest Monohull Cruising Sailboat

Sep 13, 2021

less than a min

Monohulls are boats with only one hull, intended for mainly comfortable voyages, plenty of interior space perfect for entertaining and long cruises. While they are not generally known for being as fast as multihulls, these boats can also achieve considerable speed. The fastest monohull cruising sailboat is called V.O.60 and stands for Volvo Ocean 60 . This is an ocean racer with a needle-nosed shape, designed by Bruce Farr. 

The V.O.60 is 17 feet wide, 64 feet long, and weighs about 30k pounds. In addition, it has a mast of 85 feet high. The fastest this boat can go is 36 knots. 

The way this boat achieves extra speed in comparison to other similar monohulls is its planing ability. The V.O.60 has a portion of the bottom that is flat and allows the hull to lift out of water when speed gets over 17 knots. In addition, all its heavy equipment is placed in the center of the boat to achieve a low polar moment of inertia while the rest of the boat is left clear to increase speed by decreasing resistance. 

This boat has a narrow blade keel and a T-shaped rudder, in addition to a composite sail and stainless steel and aluminum elements. It can be sailed by a maximum of 12 people. For this particular boat, all 12 people are professional sailors with racing experience. 

Apart from being the fastest monohull in the world , this boat is also a very expensive racing vessel, amounting to at least a couple of million dollars. 

While you might not have a racing boat that is the fastest in the world, you can still enjoy some speed on your monohull. In order to optimize its efficiency and performance, there are a few maintenance tasks you can perform regularly. These include cleaning the hull and checkups on the propeller to make sure nothing is broken and causing extra friction between the boat and water. 

You can keep track of these tasks and more through TheBoatApp , an extensive and organized platform that allows you to keep all your boat data in one place. You can have all your documents, inventories, alerts, maintenance tasks, checklists, pictures, logbooks, and more stored in the app. You can access all this information both online and offline and from anywhere in the world. Check out our website for more features and specifications provided by TheBoatApp. 

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6 of the fastest boats you can buy right now

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Serial boat owner and adrenaline junkie Elliott Maurice picks out 6 of the fastest boats available on the market…

A rarefied segment of the boating industry is dedicated to creating some of the fastest boats in the world. They’re the Bugatti Chirons and Koenigseggs of the seas. Builders of these boats work to extreme tolerances, using exotic materials and construction methods usually found in the aviation industry.

Of course, at this level, low volume production and the aforementioned construction methods combine to create an exclusive product with an even more exclusive price tag. These super high-performance boats will be hugely impractical for most purposes, when compared to a typical leisure vessel, and the skipper will need significant ability to get the most out of it.

In reality any boat capable of speeds more than 60 knots (69mph) is very fast indeed. Given the hugely changeable nature of water compared to tarmac, this is akin to driving a car at around 120mph.

Most of the fastest boats use race-derived hulls with roots dating back to the 1980s when the ‘Go-Fast boat’ became synonymous with the glamor and excesses of the time. TV shows like Miami Vice , with Don Johnson catching drug dealers in his iconic Wellcraft 39 Scarab , helped make these boats extremely popular.

In reality, high performance offshore boats of this type were extensively used by cartels to run drugs into Miami, with the DEA commissioning a fleet of Blue Thunder powercats to help combat the problem.

Fast forward to today, some of the fastest boats are capable of exceeding 180mph with specialist engines and are in fact faster than the boats in Class 1 Offshore racing, where horsepower is limited to twin 1,100hp.

This list is by no means exhaustive – there are also a number of phenomenal offerings out there from legendary builders like Nortech, Sunsation, Donzi and Fountain.

6 of the fastest boats you can buy

Goldfish 46 Bullet

World’s fastest RIB

Top speed: 85 knots (99 mph) Price: $1.2million

Starting with one of the most revered names in the world of performance RIBs, Norwegian yard Goldfish Boats build exceptionally capable open water powerboats. They are also the fastest Ridged Inflatable Boats on the market today.

The 46 Bullet is the fastest of them all – with triple 500hp V10 Mercury outboards 85 knots is achievable. Around $1.2 million will put you in the driving seat of this exquisitely built boat with a carbon superstructure, state of the art electronics and custom racing seating for six.

Perfectly capable of cruising for hours in excess of 60 knots in challenging conditions, the Goldfish is capable of holding its own in rough water against almost any offshore powerboat challenger.

Article continues below…

Fastest boat: The current holder and contenders for the world water-speed record

Mystic m5200 yacht tour: on board the 70-knot, 2,400hp bentley gt of the seas.

Outerlimits SV50

World’s fastest production monohull

Top speed: 156 knots (180 mph) Price: $900,000

At 50ft 1in LOA and only 9ft in the beam, this rocket ship is a pure raceboat in design, with five steps in the hull and staggered engines to keep the driver as close to the centerline as possible.

At the 2023 Lake of the Ozarks shootout an SV50 with enclosed cockpit and twin 2,000hp engines ran 180.47 mph on a 1km run making it the fastest production monohull on the water.

More impressive is that a standard boat with twin Mercury Racing 1,350/1,550hp can easily top 140mph. However, this is a boat requiring an exceptional skill to drive, with handling characteristics as aggressive as its outright speed suggests. Starting at around $900,000 the SV50 is the ultimate in its class.

MTI Pleasure 52

Top speed: 156 knots (180mph) Price: $2 million

Another brand known for its offshore race winning boats, MTI produces nothing but high-performance boats. From its V series center consoles to its outboard -powered cats, this semi-custom builder doesn’t make a boat that does less than 80mph.

The 52 Pleasure is the fastest of the breed, with a full race version available using the same hull. With twin 1,750hp Mercury racing engines, this boat can achieve over 180mph.

With full custom options, MTI have even built a Lamborghini-inspired 48 footer to match the owner’s Lamborghini Aventador. Fitted with Aventador style tail lights and dashboard, the boat even had a matching covered starter button.

Needless to say, all this glamour doesn’t come cheap. You can expect a starting price of around $2 million for this level of exotica.

Cigarette 515

The most legendary go-fast boat

Top speed: 113 knots (130mph) Price: $2.2 million

No go-fast boat comes with as much pedigree as the Cigarette. Founded by the legendary Don Aronow, Cigarette Boats dominated offshore racing worldwide for over a decade, so much so that the brand name has become synonymous with offshore racers.

Still built in Florida, the brand has development ties with Mercedes AMG and Mercury Racing alike. As the largest high-performance boat in the range, the 515 offers peerless attention to detail and quality alike.

It is not the fastest production monohull, with a top speed of just over 130mph achievable with twin staggered 1,350/1,550hp Mercury Racing engines. It is, however, the best riding and one of the most capable offshore powerboats for handling rough water.

Its carbon fiber, vacuum bagged construction helps to justify its $2.2 million starting price and above all, it is the ultimate Cigarette boat.

Photo: Tom Leigh

Mystic C4000

Top speed: 108 knots (125mph) Price: $699,000

Mystics founder John Cosker is responsible for some of the fastest offshore raceboats in the world. Throttling his American Ethanol 50ft Catamaran, he hit 204mph this year setting the record on the Lake of the Ozarks sprint course.

Mystic will custom build a race winning boat for you on request, however Mystic now has a range of three high performance center consoles, with the C4000 outboard cat being the fastest production boat in the range, equipped with twin 500hp Mercury Racing outboards.

The C4000 will top 125mph and cruise in the upper 80s. With a bias on cruising comfort, the C4000 is a tuned down version of the Mystic race boat, with the tunnel compression reduced to hold the boat down rather than create the less controllable lift of the 180mph capable race hull.

The engines are also mounted on hydraulic jack plates to further trim the hull and keep the boat glued down in rough water. At just under 44ft the luxuriously appointed Mystic C4000 can offer performance akin to a light aircraft over distance – think Miami to Bimini in under an hour in the right conditions.

The Mystic is designed to run at speed confidently by most owners without the extreme characteristics of boats at this performance level. Options like a full cockpit sunshade, premium stereo and open transom make the C4000 as comfortable for lounging at a sandbar as it is running at blistering speed in open ocean.

Midnight Express 43 Open

The fastest center console boat

Top speed: 78 knots (90mph) Price: $1million

The center console market has exploded over the past few years, with a ceneter console now available for almost any boating application. The high-performance end of the spectrum has a handful of sublime builders.

However, the fastest arguably goes to Midnight Express 43, when running 5x 500hp V10 outboards. Capable of over 90mph, the 43 can also accommodate up to 20 people in comfort and 9 people at speed in luxurious quilted ultra leather bolster seats.

So good is the hull on the Midnight Express that Miami-Dade County DEA used the 39ft version as its high speed response boats. With its all-carbon superstructure and air-conditioned helm, the 43 is an extremely desirable boat, and over 100 units of this $1 million dollar boat have been sold to date.

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WSSRC Ratified World Passage Records

Current outright ratified world records (speed order).

Yacht types: S - Single-hulled yacht (monohull) C- Catamaran T - Trimaran [1] - Voyage was single-handed; otherwise the vessel had two or more persons

Copyright 2022 World Sailing Speed Record Council. All rights reserved.

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Monohull yachts: a buyer’s guide

There are many different types of monohull sailboats: habitable or non-habitable, dinghies or keel type monohulls, and racing or pleasure boats. At Dream Yacht Sales, we focus on the heart of the market: habitable, keel type monohull yachts . These boats are firm favorites, as they offer enough on-board comfort for you to welcome friends and family (our monohull boats for sale generally include several cabins and bathrooms); and give a feeling of complete security, thanks to a fixed keel.

Features of a monohull sailboat

The most noticeable feature of a monohull, is the fact it only has one hull . Apart from that, these yachts are characterized by their narrow designs, triangular-shaped bow and split living space across two floors .

Most marinas are designed to welcome monohull sailboats, whilst many struggle to fit the beam of sailing catamarans and power catamarans. Buying a monohull gives you two clear advantages when it comes to marinas : you’ll have an easier time finding a berthing space for the year in the home port of your choice and when you set sail, you’ll have an easier time finding a berthing space than your friend in a catamaran – which is why it’s much more beneficial to look at monohull boats for sale.

If you ask an experienced monohull sailor why they sail monohull yachts, they’ll tell you it’s the feeling you get from the boat . The pressure exercised by the wind in the sails of a monohull will cause it to lean transversally, (known as heeling). Contrary to multihulls, where heeling is almost non-existent (less than 5°), a monohull can easily reach a heel of more than 20° . The skipper will feel everything the boat is doing as it performs. Adjusting the sails is more delicate, and accelerations stronger. Monohull yachts give a true sailing experience .

Benefits of a monohull yacht

Sailors choose to purchase monohulls over sailing or power catamarans for a number of reasons, including the following:

Excellent balance

The keel is the weighted element at the center of the hull under the waterline, which allows the boat to be balanced , whilst also serving to counter drift on modern yachts. The rudder is the submerged part of the helm under the monohull sailboat. It is used for deflecting the flow of water under the hull to change the direction you’re sailing. It’s placed at the rear of the boat, and is most often directed by a steering wheel.

Tiller handles still exist on some monohulls (often sailing yachts shorter than 30 feet) as they take up little space, but are much more physical than the alternative – the steering wheel. Steering wheels are often preferred as they allow the boat to be maneuvered much more easily – particularly yachts over 30 feet long.

Two steering wheels means more space and visibility

The latest generation of monohull yachts are often equipped with two steering wheels, which offers two primary advantages: space and visibility. Having two steering wheels (one on the port, and the other on the starboard), allows an enormous amount of space to be freed at the center of the cockpit . This gives you more room to move while getting on and off the monohull yacht, and swimming whilst at mooring. Not only that, but for visibility, two steering wheels makes it easier to control the sails and the body of water when blocking upwind .

Capacity to sail upwind

The main advantage of a monohull sailboat is its capacity to sail upwind – an average of 10-20 degrees better than a multihull, which massively reduces the distances traveled at this speed. The shape of a monohull naturally fits the shape of the waves when troughs of several meters form , giving a sense of safety to those on-board, as every experience is felt at the helm.

The monohull has one other advantage: it has a relatively small surface in the water and it’s light ; making it easier to get it out of the water, and meaning its regular maintenance (refitting, anti-fouling etc) is less expensive.

The cost of buying a monohull yacht

From its purchase price, to berthing space and ongoing maintenance, a monohull sailboat costs much less than a catamaran . This is partly due to there being a much wider range of yachts available, than what is found with multihulls. For example, Dufour’s Grand Large range offers yachts a little more than 30 feet long, with two double cabins and one bathroom; whilst the smallest habitable catamarans usually measure around 40 feet and have a minimum of three double cabins. Because of this,  monohulls are often better suited for small families, or groups of friends . For an equal size, between 40-60 feet, a monohull sailboat will also cost much less than a catamaran; with the price of a 40 foot catam aran often equal to a monohull of nearly 50 feet.

Berthing space is another thing to consider when choosing which type of yacht to buy. A berth for a monohull yacht generally costs 20-50% less than that of a similarly sized catamaran . This is often one of the biggest expenses for a boat owner and should not be neglected if you are looking to keep control of your budget. When you set sails, berths during your stops to fill up with water and food will also be much less expensive for you.

We represent the best of monohull yacht brands

There are many advantages to buying a monohull over a catamaran. At Dream Yacht Sales, we work in partnership with four leading and respected monohull boatyards: Jeanneau ,  Beneteau , Dufour  and Wauquiez . We are dealers for these brands in some regions of the world, and can organize a sea trial or a visit to a boatyard to help you buy a good quality monohull yacht for the greatest value for money.

Contact our team today to discuss your needs, or select a boat on our site, configure it to your taste and we’ll provide you a quote there and then.

Alternatively, you can take a look at our other buying guides: Sailing catamarans Power catamarans

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Yachting Monthly

• Digital edition

Busting the hull speed myth

• julianwolfram
• December 13, 2021

Waterline length is not the defining factor in maximum boat speed that we all think it is. Julian Wolfram busts the hull speed myth

Modern hull forms, like this Jeanneau SO440, use chines to create volume forward while keeping a narrow entrance at the waterline

Every sailor is delighted when the breeze picks up and the boat really starts to get going with a bone in her teeth.

Julian Wolfram is a physicist, naval architect, former professor of ocean engineering at Heriot-Watt in Edinburgh and a Yachtmaster Offshore who has cruised and raced for 45 years

The crew will want to know how fast she will go and perhaps surreptitiously race her against any similar sized boat in the vicinity.

Speculation may start about what allows one boat to go faster than another – is it the hull shape or the sails?

It is easy to spot good, well-trimmed sails but what about the hull ?

The important part is not visible below the water surface. However there is one key indicator that is often very apparent – the waves generated by the sailing yacht.

When a yacht picks up speed the wave pattern around it grows and the greater the speed the bigger the waves .

The energy in these waves is proportional to the square of their height – double the height and the energy goes up by a factor of four.

This energy comes from the wind , via the sails and rig , making the hull push water out of the way.

If less of this wind energy was wasted in producing waves the yacht would go faster.

When a typical displacement monohull reaches a speed-to-length ratio of around 1.1 to 1.2 (speed in knots divided by the square root of the waterline in feet) up to half the wind energy driving it is usually wasted in generating waves.

The hull speed myth: Half angle of entrance

So how can we tell if a yacht will sail efficiently, or have high wave resistance and waste a lot of energy generating waves?

The answer starts back in the 19th century with the Australian J H Michell.

In 1898 he wrote one of the most important papers in the history of naval architecture in which he developed a formula for calculating wave resistance of ships.

Light displacement cruising boat: The bow of this Feeling 44 is finer than older cruising boats

This showed that wave resistance depended critically on the angle of the waterlines to the centreline of the ship – the half angle of entrance.

The smaller the angle the smaller the height of the waves generated and the lower the wave-making drag.

A knife blade can slice through water with minimal disturbance – drag the knife’s handle through and you generate waves.

The big hull speed myth

For a displacement hull the so-called ‘hull speed’ occurs when the waves it generates are the same length as the hull.

This occurs when the speed-length ratio is 1.34.

It is claimed that hulls cannot go significantly faster than this without planing. It is called ‘the displacement trap’ but is a myth.

Heavy displacement cruising boat: An older design has a bow that is several degrees wider

As an example, consider a 25ft (7.6m) boat that goes at 10 knots in flat water.

This is a speed-length ratio of two. That is the average speed over 2,000m for a single sculls rower in a world record time.

The reason for this high speed is a half angle of entrance of less than 5º. Hobie Cats, Darts and many other catamarans have similarly low angles of entrance and reach even higher speed-length ratios with their V-shaped displacement hulls.

These hulls also have almost equally fine sterns, which is also critically important to their low wave resistance.

The monohull problem

Now a monohull sailing yacht needs reasonable beam to achieve stability and, unless waterline length is particularly long, the half angle of entrance will inevitably be much larger than those on rowing skulls and multihulls .

In his 1966 Sailing Yacht Design Douglas Phillips-Birt suggests values of 15º to 30º for cruising yachts.

Many older cruising yachts with long overhangs and short waterline lengths, for their overall length, have values around the top of this range.

Busting the hull speed myth: A Thames barge is a similar length and beam to a J-Class, but its bluff bow, built for volume, makes it much slower. Credit: Alamy Stock Photo

Newer sailing yachts, with plumb bows, have somewhat smaller half angles and a modern 12m-long fast cruiser may have a value around 20º and a racing yacht 17º or 18º.

Size matters here as, to achieve stability, a little yacht is likely to have a bigger half angle than a large one, such as the German Frers-designed 42m (138ft), Rebecca which has a half angle of entrance of under 13º.

Rebecca also has a fine, elegant stern which helps minimise the stern wave – I’ll come back to sterns and stern waves.

Interestingly the half angle of entrance is not mentioned in the otherwise excellent 2014 Principles of Yacht Design by Larsson et al, although it is currently used as one of the parameters in the preliminary estimation of wave resistance for ships.

While it is still particularly applicable to very slender hulls, naval architects are not generally familiar with Michell’s work.

His formula for wave resistance involves quadruple integrals of complex functions.

German-Frers’ designed Rebecca has a half angle of entrance of just 18°. Credit: Cory Silken

These are not ‘meat and drink’ for your average naval architect, and only a few mathematically inclined academics have much interest in theoretical wave resistance.

Michell’s work is rarely, if ever, covered in naval architecture courses now.

Nowadays the emphasis is much more on numerical methods, high-speed computers and computational fluid mechanics (CFD) using the so called Navier-Stokes equations.

Examining these equations, which apply to any fluid situation, does not give any insights into wave resistance, albeit they can model wave resistance very well when used in the piecewise manner of CFD.

It is very easy to measure the half angle of entrance at the design waterline when a yacht is out of the water.

Take a photograph directly upwards from the ground under the centreline at the bow.

Busting the hull speed myth: Multihulls achieve high speeds due to fine hulls, light displacement and ample stability. Credit: Joe McCarthy/Yachting Monthly

Now blow this up on a computer screen, or print it off at a large scale, and measure the angle with a protractor.

Alternatively, if you have a properly scaled accommodation plan drawn for a level close to the design waterline this will yield a reasonable approximation of the half angle of entrance.

Unfortunately there is not a simple relationship between the fineness of the bow and the wave drag.

But, all other things being equal, the smaller the half angle the better.

It is easy to measure and is a useful parameter to know when comparing yachts.

Stern shape and hull speed

The half angle of entrance cannot be taken alone as a measure of wave drag, and the fairness of the hull and in particular the run aft is also critical.

Just as the half angle of entrance dictates the height of the bow wave, so the fineness of the stern is a key influence on the height of the stern wave.

Consider the water flowing around both sides of the hull and meeting at the stern.

Modern race boats, like Pip Hare ‘s IMOCA 60, combine a fine angle of entrance with wide, flat hulls for maximum form stability and planing ability. Credit: Richard Langdon

If these streams meet at a large angle the water will pile up into a high stern wave.

On the other hand if they meet at a shallow angle there will be less piling up. A fine stern can maintain a streamline flow of water.

However if the sides of the hull meet at the stern at a large angle then the streamline flow will tend to separate from the hull, leaving a wide wake full of drag-inducing eddies.

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In many modern designs the hull sides are not far off parallel at the stern and it is then the upward slope of the buttock lines that are critical and, again, the shallower the slope the better from a hull drag perspective.

The slope of the buttocks can easily be measured if the lines plan is available and a good indication can be obtained from a profile drawing or a photo taken beam on with the boat out of the water.

Drawing a chalk line parallel to the centreline and half a metre out from it will provide a buttock line that can be checked visually for fairness when the boat is viewed from abeam.

A rowing scull easily exceeds its theoretical max hull speed. Credit: Alamy Stock Photo

Again, the smaller the angle the better – provided the transom is clear of the water.

An angle of more than 17º will lead to separated flow and eddy making. This also happens if the transom is immersed.

The greater the immersion the greater the drag, so weight in stern lockers on modern boats can be critical.

Modern hull design

The modern wedge shape attempts to resolve the conflicting demands of a small angle of entrance, good stability and a fine stern.

The plumb bow extends the waterline forward and, with the maximum beam taken well aft, the hull forward can be relatively narrow, providing a low half angle of entrance.

The stern is wide, which helps achieve good stability, but at the same time the buttocks rise slowly at a shallow angle to the water surface.

This gives a smooth and gradual change in the hull’s cross section area ensuring the water flow remains attached to the hull and that the stern wave is kept low.

A modern cruising boat gains stability from a wide stern, but needs twin rudders

This wide, flat stern also helps surfing down waves and possibly planing.

Some designs have chines just above the design waterline which increases usable internal volume and gives a little more form stability when heeled.

However, as soon as the chine is immersed there will be separation along the chine edge as water will not flow smoothly around a sharp edge.

It is just not possible to get the chine perfectly aligned with the streamlines of the water flow in all sailing conditions and there will be some extra drag at times.

There are two downsides to the wedge- shaped hull.

Overloading aft will create a large increase in drag

First the boat has to be sailed at a small angle of heel to keep the rudder properly immersed and to avoid broaching. This can be offset to some extent by using twin rudders .

The second is that the weight must be kept relatively low.

This is because a relatively small increase in weight causes a big increase in wetted surface area at the stern and hence in the frictional drag which makes the boat slower, particularly in light airs.

This is the downside of slowing rising buttocks and the reason why dinghy sailors get their weight forward in a light breeze .

Displacement Length Ratios

Traditionally for sailing yachts the displacement-length ratio has been used as a measure of speed potential, partly because it is easy to calculate from the yacht particulars.

It is waterline length (in metres) divided by the cube root of displacement (in cubic metres or tonnes).

A heavy boat, such as the Heard 35, will have a value of about 4 to 4.8.

A more moderate displacement boat, such as the Hallberg Rassy 342 or Dufour 32 Classic, will have a value in the range 5 to about 5.5; whilst a racing boat may a value of up to, and even over, 7.

A heavy displacement cruising boat with a fair run aft is less affected by additional weight

However the displacement length ratio can be misleading as making a hull 20% deeper and 20% narrower will keep the displacement the same but will significantly reduce the half angle of entrance and the wave drag.

It is interesting to note a Thames barge in racing trim has the same length-displacement ratio as a J class yacht, but their speed potential is vastly different.

Finally I should mention the older ‘length-displacement’ ratio, which is quoted in imperial units.

This is calculated by dividing a boat’s displacement in tons (2,240 pounds) by one one-hundredth of the waterline length (in feet) cubed.

Credit: Maxine Heath

It is still used in the USA and should be treated with caution.

The myth that your boat’s speed is only restricted by it waterline length does a disservice to its designers, and does little to help you understand how to get the best from her when the wind picks up.

Have a look at how the boat is loaded, how you sail on the wind, your boat handling and how much canvas you ask her to carry and you may discover more speed than you expect.

The remarkable John Henry Mitchell

Pioneer of wave theory

It’s worth saying a little more about the remarkable John Henry Michell.

He produced a series of ground-breaking papers including one that proved a wave would break when its height reached a seventh of its length.

He was the son of Devon miner who had emigrated to the gold mining area near Melbourne.

He showed such promise that he got a scholarship to Cambridge.

He was later elected a fellow of the Royal Society at the age of 35 – not bad for the son of a Devonshire miner.

His brother George was no slouch either – he invented and patented the thrust bearing that is named after him.

The half angle of entrance became the traditional factor for assessing the fineness of hulls.

It is defined as the angle the designed waterline makes with the centreline at the bow.It varies from less than 5º for very fine hull forms up to 60º or more for a full-form barge.

At higher speeds, modest increases in the half angle can give rise to substantial increases in wave resistance.

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Average Speed of a Sailboat (Plus Top Speed)

Last Updated by

Daniel Wade

June 15, 2022

Going fast in a sailboat can be lots of fun. But what is the average of a sailboat? Well, let's find out.

The delight and gratification that comes from speed can be a big plus for adrenaline-seeking sailors. Well, nothing can fire up the adrenaline more than having a speedy boat ride out on the water. This is essentially why having an idea of how fast a sailboat can go is of great importance. When it comes to looking at the speed of a sailboat, it can be crucial to consider the types of activities that you'll be using your sailboat for. In fact, your sailboat should only be considered ideal if it meets the level of expectations required of it in terms of speed and activities on the water. Even with this, the speeds of sailboats can vary based on several factors. But what is the average speed of a sailboat?

The top speed of a sailboat will vary based on its size and purpose. For example, high-end racing sailboats are purposely designed to reach maximum speeds while larger and bulkier sailboats may be slower due to drag and friction. That being said, the average speed of racing sailboats is 15 knots (17 mph). On the other hand, 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). In essence, cruise speeds of over 8 knots are quite normal.

Let's get into the details.

Table of contents

Measuring Sailboat Speed

The nautical measurement of speed is the knot. According to the World Sailing Speed Council, one knot is equal to about 1.15 mph. The knot measurement is dependent on the circumference of the Earth. So if your sailboat is cruising at an average speed of 1 nautical mile per hour, it means that it's cruising at a speed of 1 knot.

Modern sailboats have GPS tracking devices that can be used to measure the distance covered, as well as the speed at which the sailboat is sailing.

Factors that Determine the Speed of a Sailboat

Different types of sailboats can attain different speeds. There are several factors that can determine the speed of a sailboat. Let's take a look.

The Length and Size of a Sailboat

While the speed of a sailboat will depend on several factors such as currents, wind conditions, and many other factors as we'll discuss later, the most important thing that can influence the speed of a sailboat is its size and length. You may be asking yourself; what's the connection between the length of a boat and its speed?

Well, the ability of a sailboat to go fast depends on the harmonizing act between its length and the power that drives it. When a sailboat moves through the water, it creates a pattern of waves. These waves include one along the side of the sailboat, which produces a ridge of water at the bow and a trough at the stern.

If the length of the wave is almost equal to the length of the boat, it creates a huge ridge that shoves the sailboat back into its trough, thereby slamming it up against an almost dense wall of water resistance. This then gives the sailboat sufficient speed to lift its bow out of the water and the ability to skim above the bow waves while allowing it to overcome the resistance that the water or the waves create.

A sailboat, of course, needs a lot of power to get over the hump in the resistance curve. So a longer boat will have a higher speed than a shorter boat. This is because a longer sailboat will create longer waves across its hull and move faster. On the other hand, short sailboats tend to generate shorter waves, thereby will have reduced speeds. In essence, it's almost impossible for a sailboat to travel faster than the speed of a wave if the wave is longer than the boat.

In most cases, boat designers create extreme lengths to get boats over the mound of the wave resistance. While a lightweight boat can easily achieve this, it can leave you shorthanded in heavy winds as it can be easily pushed by the winds. Again, it may not have the stability needed to carry enough sails to get the appropriate power to sail on the water. So if the boat is light, it should at least have a double hull to at least compensate for its instability.

The Shape of the Hull

This may be hard to believe but some hulls are more efficient than others when it comes to creating the wave resistance that is needed to move the boat. Generally, hulls should be very slim and carefully shaped. Keep in mind that a sailboat that has a hull that's shaped like a fat tub will not be as fast as a sailboat with a very slim hull even if they're of the same length.

A proper indication that the hull has the ability to be faster depends on its aft or buttock lines. If a hull has a straight line from the lowest point of the hull to the transom and the transom is a little bit wide, the boat will not only be stable but will be much faster. On the contrary, a hull that curves a lot but has a narrow stern may not be that fast. In essence, hulls play an integral role in slicing through the water and do not push water aside and down.

Comparing the Speeds of Catamarans and Monohulls

Are catamaran or trimaran hulls more superior to Monohulls in terms of speed? Well, cruising on a sailboat with a cat hull will be much faster than cruising on a sailboat with a monohull by 25%-30% if the two sailboats are of the same length. A catamaran hull will not only achieve speeds of a racing monohull but will be more comfortable to sail on.

A tri-hull is even much better in the sense that they're generally designed towards the performance end of the spectrum. They will, therefore, double the speed of a racing monohull.

The only downside of a cat and trimaran hull is that they're more sensitive to loading and their performances will significantly suffer if they're loaded. On the other hand, a monohull can perfectly handle loading and this is a huge advantage is you're planning to sail with a crew. To this end, you should consider keeping your cat or tri boat as light as possible if you want to maximize speed. We all know that keeping your sailboat light is as difficult as they come but it's of importance if speed is your main goal.

Monohull (6-8 knots)

Most average sailboats are designed with monohulls. They're generally displacement hulls designed to split through the underwater. This not only stabilizes the boat but slices through the water smoothly. If you want to make a monohull sailboat much faster, you can consider raising the entire hull above the water.

Catamarans and Trimarans (9-10 knots)

Unlike monohulls, cats and trimarans are located on top of the water. This means that they'll be displacing less water, thereby making them a lot faster. The only downside is that this design will make the boat less stable, which can be a cause for concern given that safety should always come first while on the water. This is essentially why catamarans and trimarans have two and three hulls respectively. This will, however, make the boat extremely buoyant.

Waves play a critical role not just in the speed of your boat but also in the safety of your boat. We all know that waves are very unpredictable. They can be calm and gentle but can suddenly become wild, confusing, irregular, and angry.

Generally described as freaks or rogues, waves can be very dangerous. They can bully your boat and attempt to roll it over. Waves can also make your boat faster or slower. As such, waves can either positively or negatively affect the speed of your sailboat. Given that calm waves cannot be appropriate in achieving the maximum speed of your boat, the right wave condition that should enable your sailboat to move faster should overlap and interfere in the right way.

The wind is the only thing that propels sailboats. The wind will fill up the sails, which is then used to move the boat. Both true winds and apparent winds can be integral in moving the boat forward. True wind is essentially the type of wind you feel when you stand still and it's what pushes a boat. Needless to say, strong winds may move a sailboat faster than calm winds but this may depend on the wind direction.

How to Improve the Speed of Your Sailboat

Having looked at the average speed of a sailboat, as well as factors that may affect its speed, it's important to highlight how to improve the speed of your sailboat.

It's important to make sure that your sailboat is properly designed to attain maximum speed. The sailboat should also be properly maintained and serviced to work at maximum speed. Make sure that the hull and foils are clean and in perfect shapes. Here's what to do.

• ‍ Make sure that the foils do not have seaweeds or plastic bags
• Ensure that the hull is in tip-top shape and can hold tension
• Make sure that the sails are in the right conditions
• Make sure that the masts have the right stiffness

You may have a lot of difficulties reaching your targeted speed if the weight of the crew exceeds the appropriate capacity of your sailboat. This is because there will be some sort of drag and tension and this may significantly hinder the speed at which the boat travels. In essence, a lighter boat may be a lot faster than a heavier boat. This is what you should do.

• ‍ Make sure that the weight is appropriate
• Ensure that the boats overall weight is moving aft and out appropriately
• Make sure that the maximum weight is not exceeded

The settings of your sailboat can either negatively or positively affect its speed. For instance, you should make sure that the mast rakes, mast step position, shroud tensions. Jib car position, vang tension, and keel position, as well as any other part of the sailboat, are perfectly set to make the boat faster.

You should compare various settings and figure out which type of settings gives you maximum speed. Here are some of the things to do.

• ‍ Ensure that jib cars are in the right position
• Make sure that your mainsails are in the right position
• The vang tension should be efficient

The technique you use on your sailboat can make a difference when it comes to your speed. Techniques such as steering and trimming can be a huge speed factor, particularly when the conditions at sea are difficult. You should also have varying trimming techniques. Here are some important skills.

• ‍ Know how to steer perfectly
• Know how to control primary upwind
• Know the right amount of curl to have in your kite
• Make sure that you're pumping efficiently
• Know how to play the jibs and genoas

These factors can be of great importance in increasing the speed of your sailboat. You can use them efficiently next time you want to be up to speed.

Bottom Line

Sailing speed is, without a doubt, one of the most favorite discussions among sailors. Most sailors often try to figure out how to make their sailboats faster or why a given sailboat is faster than another one. In essence, the average speed of a sailboat ranges between 4 knots to 15 knots but this may depend on the size and type of the sailboat, as well as other factors. This means that the average speed of sailboats is 8 knots but there several factors such as the type of the hull, waves, and wind conditions can affect the speed of your sailboat.

It's, therefore, important to know how these factors may affect your speed and what you need to do about them. For example, your sailboat may not be as fast as you may want if it's not properly prepared or maintained.

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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.

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Yachting World

• Digital Edition

Comanche, Jim Clark’s 100ft super maxi, smashes the transatlantic record

• Toby Hodges
• July 28, 2016

Comanche, the 100ft maxi racing yacht built to break records for Jim Clark and Kristy Hinze-Clark, has set an astonishingly fast new transatlantic record

In making the crossing in just  5 days, 14 hours, and 21 minutes Comanche has knocked over 24 hours off the prized record held by Mari-Cha IV for the last 13 years (subject to ratification). She sailed the 2,880 nautical miles at an AVERAGE speed of 21.44 knots!

Comanche, sailing without her regular skipper Ken Read due to America’s Cup World Series commentating commitments, was on standby for the record attempt since the end of June. She departed on the evening of the 22 July from New York – and crossed the Lizard finish line at 1145 today, 28 July.

Comanche was built precisely for this purpose: to break records. She set a blistering new 24-hour distance record for a monohull during the Transatlantic Race last year – 618 miles, at an average speed of 25.75 knots. But this Transat record is arguably the big one.

Comanche’s owner Jim Clark said: “The guys have once again powered our fantastic fat-bottomed girl to another title. I am so proud of the entire team and everyone involved in the entire program from top to bottom, the best in world, getting the best out of Comanche. Perfect harmony, and Kristy and I are over the moon.”

Speaking ahead of the departure, Comanche owner Jim Clark stated “Comanche has already proven her potential in major events all around the world and this looks to be a great opportunity to continue her legacy…The crew is made of some of the best sailors in the world who all have great pedigree. I have a good feeling about this attempt.”

Clark, the Silicon Valley magnate and founder of Netscape, has owned a number of high profile yachts that includes the groundbreaking 90m schooner Athena, and the J-Class Hanuman.

North Sails President Ken Read, the former Puma Volvo 70 skipper, has been helmsman on Hanuman and collaborator on Clark’s recent projects. “This latest record is testament to Jim and Kristy’s vision,” he said. “This is the culmination of six years of hard work and a huge team of experts offshore and onshore all working as one.”

For this crossing, Comanche’s rockstar crew, some of who sailed with Read on the Volvo Ocean Race, was led by Casey Smith, and included regulars Tony Mutter, Richard Clarke and navigator Stan Honey.

Honey picked the ideal weather window, ahead of a front, with flat seas and steady winds from a favourable angle. Following Comanche’s progress on the Yellowbrick tracker it was amazing to see how consistently she remained in the mid 20-knot bracket.

Stan Honey pours over his routeing at Commanche’s navstation

Crewmember and photographer Yann Riou described it as a weather pattern that only happens a couple of times a year. “In front of a low pressure system, moving at the same speed as we do… south-westerly wind, flat sea, all the way through – on the paper, this could not be any better.” In reality there was more thunderstorm activity than the crew had anticipated which enforced a couple of slower gybes.

In comparison to Mari-Cha’s historic ghost trail however (in white above), Comanche was able to sail a much more direct route. (It makes the 2003 record all the more impressive – see more details on MCIV below). The last 50 miles to the Lizard involved a comparatively slow hitch south of the Scilly Islands.

Comanche sailed with ‘only’ 17 crewmembers who used manual powered winches and hydraulics for this record attempt.

Antiguan Shannon Falcone, an America’s Cup winner with Team Oracle, prepares freeze-dried food during Comanche’s record crossing

Named after a native American tribe, Comanche is so beamy she was dubbed ‘the aircraft carrier’ – see our full tour of the yacht here

Designed by VPLP and Guillame Verdier, Comanche involved 15,000 hours design time plus 150,000 build-hours at Hodgdon Yachts in Maine ­­– in less than a year.

In comparison to Mari Cha IV, Comanche is 38ft shorter, but with only 5ft 5in less beam. Her 31 tonnes displacement is 25 tonnes lighter, yet the two yachts have similar keel draught. This all equates to Comanche boasting significant extra stability and righting moment – and consequently the ability to set vast sail area to help produce the extra power and speed she consistently shows. See what she’s like to sail onboard with our video here

It’s a long way down from the leeward rail – the formidable beam of Comanche

Stan Honey: “There are only about two weather windows a year where a monohull can make it all the way across the Atlantic in one system, and we found one of them. Beating this record by more than a day is above my expectations and I am delighted.”

Mari Cha IV

Mari Cha IV – by Thierry Martinez

Mari-Cha IV, the 42.32m ketch designed by Philippe Briand, was built by JMV Industries in 2003 with an aim to be the fastest monohull for offshore courses. She certainly achieved that when she set the Transatlantic Record on the year of her launch, making the crossing in 6 days, 17 hours, 52 minutes, at an average speed above 19 knots. Her best 24 hour run was 525 miles. She has since been completely and stunningly refitted by Royal Huisman and relaunched this year as Samurai.