Whilst it could be said that the torpedo had altered it position in naval estimation, it was also fair to say that the torpedo boat had fallen in repute. Torpedo vessels had grown in size and costliness. More and more gear was being crowded into them, increasing their weight and cost, and also the intricacy of their machinery. In all this cheapness, the one great virtue of the torpedo had been overshadowed. A solution to this problem had been provided by Messrs. Yarrow and Co. in the form of a second-class torpedo boat (length 60 feet, beam 8 feet 6 inches, trial speeds 18.5 knots (light) 17.031 with a load of 4 tons) armed with a single swivelling torpedo tube placed aft.