Speed VS Economical

     There are advantages to both, as you can imagine, speed is glamorous and appealing to most of us, however, ocean going vessels need think less about speed and more about safety. Most yachting captains will readily admit they would sacrifice safety over performance any day. Consequently, speed in itself can be a safety feature, how? Storms can whip up on the worlds oceans, in a matter of minutes the air changes, dense heavy air consumes your environment, the wind changes direction and before you know it, a gale has whipped up, wreaking havoc on your ship. Speed can help you navigate in an expedient method away from sudden approaching storms, in which you would otherwise be caught in with a much slower vessel.
     The more economical a vessel, say one that's full displacement with a bulbous bow, the speed is largely reduced, yet your fuel usage can cut in half, this can mean life or death on the open ocean. You may only be able to navigate to your destination at a cruising speed of 12knots or max speed of 17knots, but your pocket book will cheer you on. You will use less fuel and arrive at your destination on a smoother ride.
     Most ocean going vessels are classified in different classes of sea-keeping ability, some known for speed while others known for safety. Many yacht manufacturers advertise both, speed yet safe. The bottom line is knowing the capabilities of your vessel is most important, advertising a yacht as a "blue water yacht" or "a trans-ocean going vessel" or "expedition yacht" usually implies a slower full displacement yacht. Speed is often reserved for offshore vessels used for sport. Regardless of speed or fuel usage, safety should be the foremost thought when buying a vessel, are you going to fish with the vessel or see the world? Questions that must be answered.