[BigLew]

That doesn't surprise me at all.

Under the circumstance, I doubt seriously the prop pitch, etc. was better than a "best" guess; and not being a V-drive, you had to probably increase the downward angle of the shaft/prop more than optimal. The other thing our outboard brethren seem not to appreciate is that the weight of an inboard acts as a terrific ballast. It really gives a solid predictable reaction to the hull's behavior in a sea and when it settles, it does so more predictably than an outboard which is, generally, less predictable given the leverage arm of forces (ect.) that influence it vs. simply the size and direction of the wave in question. The other part of this is that the inboard configurations generally are twice the weight/HP than the outboard thus the reduction in top end speed.

Oh well, just more proof to the adage, "You have to pay to play!"