Conservative Royal Navy speed claims are contrasted with French and Italian trial figures. Builder bonuses for exceeding a specified speed are suggested as one reason for unusually high results on trials. Those incentives encourage a different presentation from asking how fast a ship will run in its intended service condition. The British preference described here combines realistic operational planning with reluctance to reveal the full performance available.
Notable Point · 2:45:18-2:46:21
Why trial-speed incentives can distort warship comparisons
Builder incentives and the conditions used for trials can produce speed figures that answer a different question from practical service performance.