I like sailing my kayak. I sail it when I am tired and/or it can help me travel faster than I may otherwise have been able to. If I was travelling directly into the wind the sail would add no value, thus tacking would be required. If speed was measured in reduction of distance from desired destination then perhaps speed would be slower. However, why would one raise the sail to slow oneself down? The sail should only be raised when it increases the speed or decreases the effort to obtain the desired speed. Or of course just raise it for the pure pleasure of sailing. Why not?
Its about the journey otherwise I would use a power boat. Sail on…
Fir me I’m not running a race so if I said into the wind and it takes longer than paddling it’s for the joy of it. As stated above it’s the journey not the lap times. I get a thrill holding up my paddle and feeling the wind pull me…
Those questions I asked were mostly rhetorical (although I’d find the answers interesting), and just an example of things to think about when deciding on a sail…or whether to have a sail. I don’t mean to sound like I think sails are a waste of time, because I don’t. Well, actually - I have to admit that for most of us who do not live on the coast or the Great Lakes, myself included, sailing in general is literally a waste of time - but a fine and lovely waste of time it is!
Yes…when sailing is correctly applied paddling frequency is slowed down to minimum.
For me it’s not about speed all the time sailing but feeling the wind pull me. So if I do more miles slower it will still be fun. .
@PaddleDog52 said:
For me it’s not about speed all the time sailing but feeling the wind pull me. So if I do more miles slower it will still be fun. .
My feelings exactly - and I see by what I bolded that you do understand sailing. 
I understand when I hold up my big blade paddles to grab air it’s a good feeling. Would not mind having a 30’ sail boat but I know squat. I would like to get a ride in 30-40’ sail boat in rough water.
I thought you were seriously deliberate about the choice of your word, “pull”, Paddledog. So many people think the wind only pushes the sail.
Well I know it will pull like an airplane wing foil on one side like a wing creates lift. High pressure on one side on lower bottom. Lower pressure on longer side. Different travel speeds of air top & bottom. But still do not know much about actually sailing.
I like America’s Cup and Volvo Ocean racing. There it’s easy to see sails are not always pushed.
@PaddleDog52 said:
Well I know it will pull like an airplane wing foil on one side like a wing creates lift. High pressure on one side on lower bottom. Lower pressure on longer side. Different travel speeds of air top & bottom. But still do not know much about actually sailing.
That’s more than a good start!
The 2018 Everglades Challenge was in strong downwind conditions this year, and I found a well/sailed and paddled sailing kayak to be unbeatable .
A new class 1 record for the 300 mile race was set by Bob Waters (Busted Rudder) using a kayakpro Marlin and a modified flat earth sail. I managed a distant second place (no sail). I must confess that I experienced “sail envy” as Bob and others skimmed along, hardly paddling, while I was keeping my best paddling pace, bone-tired, with many hours / miles to go. I got ahead of the other sailing kayaks only by getting minimal sleep and paddling through the night multiple times (finally requiring a big block of sleep to recover).
I don’t plan on using a sail for future events, but would like to run a faster class 2 kayak (racing kayak class), if I can find one with just the right amount of stability (or use something like a Huki Gull-wing for support).
Image below is of my stock 18X Ultra and Bob’s customized Flat earth sail, loading the kayaks in preparation for the start.
@gstamer
“Distant second place”??? Not in my book. You were the first solo kayak to arrive at KL solely by your own power with no assistance from a sail. That’s the purest form of competition in the race and I think the most difficult.
You also paddled the 300+ miles in 3 days, 23 hours (breaking your own previous records) and arrived at the finish before 20+ some sailboats. That’s crazy fast, mind boggling, and I’m awestruck.
Your tracker avatar is spot on. Mega accolades!
Should be separate classes. Good job!
Any chance of doing the EC, with your Valley Rapier 20?
Thanks Rookie and paddleDog52. The winner, Bob Waters is a good friend of my mine and he did a terrific job and is both a excellent paddler and sailor. Class 2 doesn’t allow sails, but that’s really the class for racing kayaks. I’d like to see a class 1 with sails, and another without, but will probably try class 2 next year to avoid those pesky sails.
It was a somber year with multiple sailboat rescues and the tragic death of Thad Rice (Blue Jay) who died of a heart-attack during the event (he was paddling a Kruger). While I can’t think of a better way to go, Thad was only in his early forties. His wife gave a moving address at the awards ceremony and was amazingly strong, but it was heartbreaking.
I’ve been thinking about Thad Rice since the shock of the announcement on the WT forum last Saturday. Some things in life make no sense. His wife’s comments on the WT forum today gave me tears; she has amazing strength for such a loss.
It’s fitting that he was given a honorary check-in and finish in the record and log book. Yet sad beyond words.
God bless Thad Rice, family, & friends.
Medawgone,
Very good question! I trained for most of the year in a Rapier 20 and love the speed and responsiveness, but during trials in the gulf, even a modest swell made it impossible to pop to the skirt to eat or pee, without deploying a paddle float, to prevent a capsize. Unlike a surf ski, you can’t just plop your legs in the water to become stable. The lack of stability (at only 17.75" wide) is a serious drawback to a multi-day race like this where you might actually fall asleep in your kayak, or at least you need to put your head down for a few moments.
When you really get sleep deprived and your core gets tired, you need for the kayak to take care of you. The Rapier is great until your core gives out, then you are in trouble as the kayak dips and wallows under you, especially at night, in large seas.
The Rapier 20 is completely rudder dependent (very little stern pressure) – should the rudder break in strong quartering winds, and as far offshore as I frequently am, it would be very difficult to control the kayak and return to safety. In contrast, I can easily control the 18X without the rudder. The whiz-rod on my Rapier SmartTrack rudder broke during my last trials in the Gulf, making it impossible to raise the rudder. At that point I decided to go with my Epic 18X Ultra for this year.
Unless more “butt time” fixes these drawbacks for me I’m pondering ways to add a simple stabilizing system or even going “whole hog” on something like a Huki Gull Wing. A surfski with a Gull Wing was used by Santos to win the MR340 twice. That would be an interesting solution, even though I don’t like having “training wheels” (being a minimalist) 
Greg
I have been more than impressed with your showings in the EC Greg! Congrats. Tragic about Thad Rice. If I ever enter it will be in the Wayfarer 16 sailboat I recently purchased. Doubt I could finish in the allotted time in my sea kayak. I also am not really interested in racing. My joy comes from the sense of adventure and discovery. I am always tempted to stop and explore or just take a closer look at things. Still what an excellent thing you are capable of to put your body through and still accomplish what you set out to do! I have read about the difficulties that solo sailors racing around the world have with sleep deprivation. I like my sleep to much! Just put me in a boat be it a kayak, canoe, or sailboat, and I am a happy man.