In one aspect of the invention, a vessel has a liquid-plane greater than one meter.sup.2/(metric ton).sup.2/3 and includes a hull having a total length and a plurality of hull portions each having a length that is less than the total length. Each hull portion buoys the vessel. Each hull portion also protrudes above the liquid-line and includes a wetted area that does not contact the wetted areas of other hull portions when the boat accelerates through Froude numbers between 0.4 and 0.6. In addition, each hull portion includes a cross-sectional area having a perimeter defined by the edge of the wetted area and having an area defined by a plane that intersects the hull portion at the perimeter. The vessel's liquid-plane is the sum of each hull portion's cross-sectional area divided by the cube root of the square of the weight of the boat is at least one. When the vessel accelerates toward a cruising speed, the wetted area of each hull portion does not contact the wetted areas of the other hull portions, the vessel's hull experiences the maximum wave resistance at a lower speed than, and a maximum total resistance that is less than, a long, single hull providing the same buoyancy. Thus, the amount of power required to overcome the hump region and to cruise at a speed that generates a Froude number greater than 0.6 is less than conventional vessels having similar lengths and payload capacities.