Would you like it more if you knew it can run 6.25 kt on less than 5 hp? Or on a modest 150 hp breaks 20 kt.
No. Fuel efficiency is a very minor consideration in boating for us. Far more important to us is what the boat can do: its interior configuration, its user-friendliness, its ease of operation, and its aesthetic appeal. Running an awkward or ugly boat is not something we have any interest in doing at all regardless of how fuel efficient it might be.
A big part of boating for us is being on the water in a well-designed (by our standards) boat. Something we can take pleasure in simply from its looking "right" on the water.
While I don't think the Grand Banks design is anything to write home about, it does a pretty good job of capturing the essence of the type of boat that inspired its looks, the helm-forward, small-forecabin commercial fishboat.
But Euroswoop boats, multi-hulls, solar panel boats, and so on are-- to us--- just plain ugly. We would take no pleasure--- or pride--- in being on the water in one no matter how efficient in terms of energy use it might be. We would probably be embarrassed to be seen in such a craft.
Now make sure you understand this is almost entirely subjective. This is how WE feel. It is NOT how we believe anyone else should feel. If a boater's primary interest is in efficiency and in pursuing that they build a solar panel electric catamaran or trimaran or monohull that we feel is really atrocious in appearance, we would certainly not condemn them for doing this. If they like it, that's the only thing that's relevant.
PS-- If someone made a super-energy-efficient boat that we thought looked good and had the same performance figures you listed, absolutely, we would be very interested. But nobody ever does that. All the so-called energy-efficient boats I've seen (in photos mostly) have terrible aesthetics by our standards.
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