also I gotta wonder about all those interior pieces flying off when it's tilted in the wind. are these really free standing vases? ...

The crew probably stow most of what you see during transits.

It's called Krazy Glue for a reason.

The vase must be attached or stowed; but I doubt this heels nearly as much as most yachts. However much money this is still full of engineering tradeoffs. If you loved sailing fast you would buy an AC75 that sails twice as fast and a comftable motor boat to sleep on.

And if you love "flying on water" that looks much more like it too

https://www.sail-world.com/photos/americascup/yysw240218.jpg

Hella cool.

TBF, the keel of the boat is itself so heavy that the weight of the floor is insignificant. "Fast" can have different meaning. Top speed is mostly a result of hull and sail profile. Overall mass will affect the acceleration but on long open ocean stretches with constant wind, you'll have plenty of space to reach the designed speed limit.

Hmm, this isn't really so accurate, there's a reason racing yachts try to reduce weight in every possible way they can, it does make a difference. You could say that adding a carbon fibre sail also makes no difference to weight versus the keel of a boat like Sayonara or Brindabella etc, but it's still worth saving the weight for the best performance.

And also, your point about top speed isn't wholly accurate either, you can get 36 foot boats now which can make 15-20 knots, which used to be thought to be almost impossible. But this is possible now with the advances in boat building techniques and materials.

Waterline length obviously makes a difference but if your boat is heavier, the wetted length and drag are going to be much greater. Also, lighter boats can crest over heavy seas in a way heavier boats can't reducing the slowing effect of a heavy sea, so even out at sea without making any maneuvers, you gain performance. Also, if you are tacking then acceleration is kind of a big deal, since you lose speed with every tack and have to regain it.

You should look at some of the maxi yachts and see the speed and acceleration they are capable of and understand that weight really does make a difference.

I presume they aren't trying to get this 1,000 tonne vessel up on plane.

You are right, there is much more to it than what I proposed.

We can all agree that if speed was truly of the essence, a luxury yacht wouldn't be the first choice. Speed requires sacrificing some comfort. Which, looking at interior pics, is definitely out of the question here.

True... you're definitely right. I don't think many of the billionaires would be comfortable cresting down waves at 35 knots, they would probably be either throwing up or praying. :)