They also give the boat a top speed of 25 knots, eight knots faster than the current boat at Montrose.

BBC: New Montrose lifeboat after ?1.5m donation

However, although the sea ice is shrinking -- covering less total area as well as becoming thinner -- the Arctic is still a world ruled by ice, a lesson well learned when the Polar Pioneer encountered heavy pack ice between Svalbard and the eastern coast of Greenland, forcing the captain to divert the boat and drop speed to just a few knots.

BBC: Life in the fragile, frozen Arctic

Since then a few more yachts have joined the speed club, mainly by exploiting the basic rule of yacht design: The longer the boat, the faster it can go.

FORBES: Mine's Lighter

Maryport Inshore Rescue Service (MIRS) operates one high-speed boat independently of the RNLI in an around the Solway Firth.

BBC: MIRS rescue boat

As they returned to the launch point at full speed following their outing, the RIB lurched, throwing Holly and her father out of the boat.

BBC: Holly Buchanan's remains found on Loch Lomond island

This was not the flame accompanied by David Beckham on a speed boat and sprinted into the roaring Olympic Stadium before a television audience of 900 million.

CNN: Staying out in the cold: Olympic killjoys?

Named Moksha (meaning liberation in Sanskrit) the custom 26ft (8m) pedal boat had a top speed of three knots, was self-righting and held supplies for months at sea.

BBC: Jason Lewis: Circumnavigating the world

As we row back to the yacht, Stjepan peels off his black trousers to reveal a pair of black swimming trunks and, boarding an old speed boat, he disappears into the bilges to service the engine.

BBC: Sailing in Croatia

When the Artemis boat capsized Thursday, the winds were 18 to 20 knots, a normal speed for this time of year.

WSJ: Before America's Cup Capsize, Concerns About Safety

Mr Pace said the new boat will improve the lifesaving capabilities of Moelfre RNLI station because of its advanced technology and improved speed.

BBC: Moelfre lifeboat given last launch after 25 years