Modern hydroplane boats are the fastest racing boats on the planet. Some of the more recently released hydroplane boats have intense top speeds. But just how fast are there and what are some of the fastest?
How fast do hydroplane boats go? Some hydroplane boats can go faster than 200 mph; they really are that fast. If it’s a super quick boat you’re after, you can’t beat a hydroplane for speed. They have insane tops speeds due to the engineering including a hull shape that ensures top hydroplane speeds, the weight of the boat, and the planing forces.
Hydroplane boats are designed to use the water they are on for lift rather than buoyancy and can travel across water at high speeds.
The principle behind the hydroplanes has not changed much since the 1950s. The goal in the design is to keep a big part of the boat from touching the water. By doing so, hydroplane speed records have been consistently broken throughout the following decades.
The fastest hydroplane boats in the world
H1 Unlimited hydroplanes are the fastest racing boats in the world. Most H1 boats are powered by turbine engines which produce 3,000 hydropower which allows them to reach speeds of close to 200 mph.
Hydroplanes vary in a wide range. They can be used for racing or adventure on rough water surfaces. There are different types of plans ad designs of hydroplanes depending on the use and requirements.
Hydroplane boat top speeds
Here are a few modern ones:
- Go Pro 3000 HP (2014) – Top speed of 200 mph
- Hydros H1 Unlimited 3000 HP (2016) – Top speed of 200 mph
Then you have some of the standout hydroplane boat speeds that have broken records:
- Miss Budweiser (1963) – Top speed of 78 mph
- Slo-Mo-Shun IV 1500 HP (1950) – Top speed of 160 mph
- Bluebird K7 (1955) – Top speed of 249 mph
- Spirit of Australia 6000 HP (2019) – Top speed of 345 mph
One of my favorite hydroplanes from history was the Slo-Mo-Shun IV. It set a water speed record of 160.323 in Lake Washington in 1950 and won a Gold Cup. The boat broke a previous record that had been unbroken for more than 10 years. The boat was designed by Tudor Owen who died on January 9th, 2000.
The more modern hydroplanes are made of aluminum, fiberglass, carbon fiber and graphite composites. They weigh a minimum of 6750 pounds. The boats are between 28 and 32 feet in length.
Hydroplane boats only touch the water at three points when racing; that is at the rear of the two front sponsons and at the rear of the boat at the propeller.
Achieving high speeds has always proven to be a challenge for designers. The shape and size of the rudder and propeller are the major aspects that affect the speed of hydroplane boats. Speeds directly depends on weight.
You might also like…
If you enjoyed this guide to speed, you might also like these other related posts about how fast certain boats can go.
