How fast do Traing Ships like Royalist sail?

Robin

Robin

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We overtook Royalist yesterday mid Channel in what I would have thought were perfect conditions for her, true wind just behind abeam and a good F5/6 gusting more on occasion. We were making around 8-8.5 kts with reefs in and she had all but the topsails up yet couldn't have been making any more than 7kts but I would have expected much more from her waterline length.

Anyone know what speeds they expect?
 
I don't think that was the case as they appeared to be on course like us for Poole (no tide gate)and if they were going to the Solent they would have missed the tide at the Needles by 6 hours!
 
Yes and they also have a tight schedule to keep to.

Some while ago I did a trip on a sail training ship from Southampton to Lisbon. We had a very fast sail across the Bay of Biscay and arrived off the Spanish coast much earlier than planned, then the skipper had to use up the spare time by unscheduled visits to other ports and dawdling along slowly.
 
Royalist is a bit of a one-off. She's nothing like as big as she appears from a distance, being only around 80 ft as compared to Lord Nelson at 170 ft and the European training ships at 250-400 ft. She's also pretty heavy and tubby compared to a racing yacht of the same LOA.

I was on the trip Twisterowner mentioned and we were doing 9 knots with a F6 on a beam reach which is as good as it gets for a boat like that. On the other hand I was once overtaken with contemptuous ease by Dar Pomorza when we were going flat out in a small cat.
 
Snowleopard sums it up quite well.... I once competed against the "Stad Amsterdam" at the start of one of the tall ships races. I a F 7 just of the beam she managed 16 kts easily and gave an impressive sight, heeling 20 degrees and tearing along through the rough North Sea.
 
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