Ark Royal was designed for 30 knots. She reached 31 knots and recorded 31.2 knots during trials. Her heavier construction therefore did not prevent her from exceeding the design figure. The result also sharpens the comparison with Yorktown's 32.5-knot top speed: Ark Royal traded some speed and machinery output for structural strength without becoming a slow fleet unit.
Notable Point · 13:53-14:06
Ark Royal exceeded her design speed on trials
Ark Royal's 31.2-knot trial performance beat her 30-knot design figure and sharpens the comparison of power, displacement, and operating speed.