Speaking of Paper Tigers (the 14’ variety), I think that everyone here realises that one of the most critical components governing the maximum or potential “speed” of any sailing craft, is weight, and to give an “anecdotal” example of just what kind of effect weight can make. In 1980 I was patrolling the course around the buoys of a local race at a local club in a powerboat in conditions, which had become marginal for racing in. The wind had picked up from approx’ 15 to 18 knots to a fairly constant 25 to 28 knots. A lot of cats and dinghies had already headed back to the beach but the fleet of paper tigers (about 15 of them) had continued to race. I was tracking behind the tail enders of these tigers when as one of them tacked the skipper slid across the tramp and straight into the water. I assisted and successfully had him aboard and we turned to take him back to his cat. Now when he tacked he had inadvertently cleated on his mainsheet with the sail set, as it would be for a loose reach. Well with the 150hp outboard flat out and a speed of around 40mph we never could catch his cat. It just took off, sailed flat on both hulls and outpaced us until we were forced to turn back after about 10 miles of trying to overhaul it. The owner actually got his PT back about a week later as it had been found by a fisherman on the other side of the gulf about 90 miles away from where we last saw it. Apart from a few scratches where it had apparently run up the beach and tipped over onto its side it was fine and back sailing a couple of weeks later. I have no idea just how fast that cat sailed but it was certainly going faster than us and certainly MUCH faster than it could possibly go with a sailer onboard.