Boat Building Forum

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Report from the racetrack
By:Hans Friedel
Date: 8/13/1999, 5:41 pm

Last week I did some racing with my Nordic Hawk 16km for sea kayaks. We placed third with the time 1.34 with a average speed of 5.5 knots. The boat is indeed fast. And the low profile makes it insensitive against wind. But the boat is a bit tricky to turn. So I think I will add a rudder for better maneuverability. But the boats that placed second and third (me) did not have any rudders. So maybe a rudder will make the boat slower? Due to larger wetted surface and a lot of unnecessary steering. Maybe I should improve my paddle skills instead?Hummm