Every few years, different countries compete in a sailboat race called the America's Cup. The boats sail over the same distance. Besides distance, what else is needed to find out the speed of each boat in the race?

Question

The wind speed during the race
The skill of the crew of each boat in the race
The combined size of the boats in the race
The time it takes for each boat to finish the race

Answer 1

To find out the speed of each boat in the America's Cup race, you need the time it takes for each boat to finish the race. The speed of a boat can be calculated using the formula:

\[ \text{Speed} = \frac{\text{Distance}}{\text{Time}} \]

While wind speed and crew skill can affect the performance of the boats, they are not directly needed to calculate the boat's speed from the race results. The combined size of the boats is also not necessary for determining speed. Therefore, the correct answer is:

The time it takes for each boat to finish the race.