To Sail7Seas,

While you are most likely correct about a US Navy aircraft carrier or nuclear sub (fast attack or boomer) going around the world non-stop at those speeds ... the top "wartime" flank speeds those vessels are capable of is alot higher the "low 30's" ... and they have even exceeded 45knots .... they just won't "officially" tell us.

In the late 70's or early 80's the nuclear aircraft carrier USS Enterprise was tied to the dock in San Diego Calif ... when a "1st Class Red Alert" was declared .... this means ... she goes to sea ... NOW!!!! (if you where standing on the dock ... you didn't have time to run up the gangway !!!)

From the time she was tied to the dock, to the point she was "hull down" and over the horizon was in the order of 11 mins. So why do we know this? Because she rolled an ocean going +100ft Tuna boat w/ her wake ... in the harbor as she left, causing the drowning deaths of several of the tuna boats crewmen ...

The pictures of the Enterprise as she was following the channel out, making that long curving turn, show she was "banking" 10-15* like a airplane ... and you could read the numbers on her flight deck .... impressive!!!

Just imagine the shear horsepower she was generating ....

Harry