What's the Maximum speed of a 'Fish

Fred P

Member
Has anyone ever measured or calculated the maximum speed of a Sunfish? I assume it can go faster than the theoretical hull speed while planing so it should be pretty fast and may depend on the wind speed. Anybody ever clocked a 'Fish at all?

Thanks,
Fred P.
 
Good question. I am guessing that on a screaming plane down the face of large wave
with a Great White shark in full pursuit, the Sunfish may hit 16 or 17 mph, but I have never clocked one. A good hand held GPS unit may provide the answer.

Alan Glos
 
I got up to something like 11.4 mph by GPS on a screeching reach, no big waves or sharks in sight. Dumped about a minute later. Water got in the GPS, so I wasn't able to get a maxumum speed out of it. Not saying its any kind of a record, but its about as fast as I ever went in a fish.
 
I just got home from sailing in 15 mph winds on a small (1 mile diameter) lake and I have a SpeedMate installed on my fish. It recorded a max speed of 8.55 knots or 9.8 mph. I know I've sailed faster than that prior to installing the SpeedMate.
 
The really amazing thing wasn't the speed, it was that the boat could be pointed directly into the apparent wind. However, I'll bet your sail trim was lacking a bit

.... and the Class Measurer wants a talk with you about those outrigger training wheels.
 
I'm really surprised about those speeds. I never thought that a Sunfish could exceed the hull speed by so much.
 
Once you get the fish up on a plane doubling hull speed is possible.
The first time you "pop" the hull up and start passing everything in sight is a real thrill.
 

Back
Top