The highest speed I have known the Tornado to go was at CORK 1975.
A 40kn storm hit when the the fleet got to the reaching leg.
The peak of the storm must have hit, when the leaders got to
the jibe mark. At this mark a couple boats lost their new windward side stay,
one of them was Reg White who released the other stays, so as not to damage
the boat from the mast. Notary was there on "Salt Water Wine", Zutec & Smyth
must have been there too.
Anyway a Canadian destroyer radared the fleet at 28kn average.
I couldn't believe it either, that's 33mph average.
At that speed the boat was no longer in the water it went like a
skipping stone from crest to crest (~9 foot waves(3m) . It was amazing
the Tornado would skip the crests, and soar over the troughs.
It was madness, with some poet license here, we zoomed/sliced over 5 crests in
five seconds, and then the wind would calm down to 2 or 3 crests in 5 seconds
with some bucking bronco added, and then accelerate/zip again.
I will never forget the thrill, not to mention wondering will
the wind ever slow up. I recall a Tornado to windward of us,
and counting it cartwheeling about it's mast 3 1/2 times, and
the crew later righted the boat, unassisted. (unsealed masts back then)
Anyway, I would call it somewhere between sailing/flying & oh ____.

Great wind & waves,
Chris Stater