"Canoe Race" design

[footstepfollower]

My brother wants to enter a canoe race together next fall. He ran it this year in a traditional 13' canoe. The kayaks spanked them. There are no hard and fast rules involved. I assume a tandem kayak will outrun most canoe designs? What about rowing/sculling craft?

The course is a two hour paddle through mangrove tunnels and the gulf. Some straight open streches. Any design recommendations for a two man boat to build? Our combined weight is 400 lbs. I'm 250 of that...

[Fitz]

13 feet is way too short. Think long for racing.

Here is a good example of a marathon canoe.

http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/SportFit/NSMC/detcruiser04.htm

Search on "marathon canoe plans" for other ideas.

Fitz.

[Peerie Maa]

Our gracious hosts ran a report of canoe racers building an Aleut Baidarka for racing, and being pleasantly surprised on the speed of it.

See issue 143.

[Chris Ostlind]

It all depends on the details of the course. Huge long straight flatwater stretches will suggest a boat such as is shown in the above link. The Jensen hull form made for a decently fast double, thought there are faster hulls out there.

If the course requires a nimble, easily turned craft for significant sections, with straight line speed also in the race, then a more, all-around boat, such as a gently rockered Tripping Canoe design may be just the answer.

If the Gulf sections are potentially about short steep chop, then a boat with more generous freeboard will be needed, or the aft paddler will be bailing a lot, should the boat be undecked.

A big, double sea kayak will also work, but they are typically not blessed with good turning potential. In a straight line and in a wide variety of water conditions, though, they can be very fast under paddle.

There are a lot of variables in play here and you'll need to refine the list a bit more in order to come to a better set of possible conclusions.