Wing Commander CIC

I've often wondered what was with WC ships and how darn fast they go. In the games, you're dog fighting, going several hundered kilometers per second , at that speed, you would be going way to fast to even see the other guy before you hit them. Also, you would never be able to land head to head with some of the carriers like the Midway or the Concordia. Is there an answer, WC masters, please help me .