Walker stated that, 'It has hitherto been the general impression that to make a steamer 200 ft. long steam 16 knots, was a rather clever thing to do, but what would Mr. Thornycroft not do if he had such dimensions to work upon? Some authorities say, a vessel may be driven at a speed proportional to the square root of her length, then something over 30 knots per hour might be expected from a vessel of the Thornycroft launch type 200 ft. in length.'