1910 Mathis Launch 15 Horsepower Universal Engine at Saranac Lake New York

A launch in contemporary usage refers to a large motorboat. 1

The name originally referred to the largest boat carried by a warship. The etymology of the word is given as Portuguese lancha "barge" from Malay lancha lancharan "boat" from lanchar "velocity without effort" "action of gliding smoothly" (said primarily of boats and turtles). Contents 1 Thames Launches 2 Military launches 3 Sports 4 References 5 See also Thames Launches

On the River Thames the term "launch" is used to mean any motorised pleasure boat. The usage arises from the legislation 2governing the management of the Thames and laying down the categories of boats and the tolls for which they were liable. The term is still in current use and can be seen in the official notices at any Thames lock. Military launches Main article: Motor Launch

Motor Launch was the designation for large (typically 60 to 115 feet/18.3 to 35.1 metres long) vessels used in the Second World War by the Royal Navy and some other navies. They were used for inshore work in defending the coast from submarines and carried relatively light armament: a few depth charges a gun and a few machine guns. Sports

In competitive Rowing the term 'Launch' is used to refer to any motorized boat used by the coach to follow practicing boats during workouts. References AskOxford: Launch Thames Conservancy Act 1932 See also RAF Rescue Launch Cabin cruiser Slipper Launch List of Spanish words of Austronesian origin This article about a type of ship or boat is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.v d e