Actually, if you look at Rick Willoughby's calculations, there are times when a flat bottom is faster, and also times when the wetted surface area is nearly identical to a round hull.  The choice is not as clear-cut as many would have you believe.

  If you go to the Messages section of the group, click on "advanced search", enter "Rick" for the author and "Flat" for the message body, you'll get a semi-useful list.  It's easy to see which messages actually apply in the search results.  There's some particularly good data and discussion in July/August 2010 in the "rudder lift" and "my little mule" threads.

        - Mike

 

I have read through some entries at boatdesign and it is clear now that regular beaching in Dutch like waters requires such strengthening of the hulls that one might as well stay with the local flat boat designs ... and miss out on speed potential. There is little compromise possible in a HP design I am afraid. But that is good to know and let that feature out of the SOR for a cruising HP.
Luc