Fastest Skiff?

I have been set a mission of finding the fastest skiff style dingy so I would like to put it to the gurus that regularly frequent this website to come up with a final solution.

The size has to be between 4-6 metres and we are not going down the cat road. Price no object just all out speed.

Give me your best ideas and get creative.

Yes 18ft skiff at ordinary windspeeds and sailed by olympians.  RS800 probably for mere mortals who have spent plenty of time practicing.  Laser 4000 for weekend sailors in plenty of breeze.  I could go on and include a 5o5 (which doesn't fit my idea of a skiff) but must be the fastest thing in very little wind.  But now thinking about it, is a Moth a skiff, and if so it must have the highest speed to length ratio?

Have I mudded the water enough?

OK so after checking the website it looks like the 18' skiff is the way forward, thanks there bigwavedave.

 

Has anyone got some idea on the polars or at least an estimation of what speeds these rockets have achieved, upwind as well as down wind and in what wind speeds?

For 18 foot Skiff polars look in High Performance Sailing by Frank Bethwaite - there are tens of pages on the subject which are still pretty good performance indicators.

UK Cherubs lastest speeds are just under 20kts with their old small rigs last weekend...

The 18 is probably the fastest but a major hassle to set up, need 3 experienced crew, cost mega money and have a good circuit, but most sailors only opt to race on the circuit just due to the hassle which is intailed with the boat. The fastest double handed sailboat in the world is the 49er. The power to crew weight ratio for the 49er is probably higher, she is a much more responsive boat to sail and if sailed properly CAN pace an 18. Comparitive handicaps for the boats are 695 for the 18 and 747 for the 49er, so there's not much in it. Plus you can sail the 49er every weekend, she isn't much of a hassle to set up and there is a really strong circuit for her right across the UK. We've clocked 49ers doing upwards of 25 knots moving into 30s region by tracking the boat with a car along the shore. In less wind we'd say she's easily capable of acheiving 20 knots down wind without too much effort, and she is really fast upwind. I haven't sailed anything quicker than the 49er. Only until you sail the boat do you appreciate how quick she is. Before I sailed one, I used to sail 5000s and thought on a good day the 5000 could pace a 49er but there is no-way that I believe that to be possible now. The speed difference is so great. The 49er is in my opinion, just uncomparable to anything else, except the 18 and I reckon they are on level terms overall.