Well, the ship analogy doesn’t really hold up. If we draw a parallel with existing maritime ships, they can sustain their rated top speed when necessary. However, this is rarely done primarily due to fuel efficiency. Since there are diminishing returns to pushing speed, it’s only done under serious time constraints.
I know why ships have max speed, I have a bachelor’s degree in maritime navigation.
But also, I honestly don’t see how this comment is relevant to the subject. Yes, modern ships are faster than older ships. But they still usually run at half speed or less.