The only thing a speed limit did in this case was give the authorities one additional charge to nail this gal with (exceeding the speed limit) that otherwise would not be available. Of course it's silly to suggest that any law will stop irresponsible behavior, to think otherwise is wishful thinking.
Is it worth having a speed limit for this reason? The 50K question for sure, but it's certainly never going to be a deterrent except for those that actually obey the law. I've pointed out in the past "reckless operation" is totally subjective and therefore arguable in court. Breaking a speed limit however is much more cut and dry and more likely to stick. It's difficult for the authorities to reconstruct the operator's frame of mind and determine if reckless operation was indeed a factor. They can however at least estimate the speed of the vessel and make a much more compelling argument based on fact and not pure speculation.
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