Been nursing a back injury as of late…got to thinking (in my boredom) which boat would be the fastest…
*Flat water, say 1or5or20 miles(not sprint)
*Same paddler (elite/experienced)
*K1- top brand
*T-bolt- or other fast marathon (vampire)
*V10- or other top brand ski
Lets here from folks who paddled all three!
(big factor I’d guess is flat water- distance,maybe?)
PS, thanks for helpin’ with my boredom…
Z
1000m, 5 mile, 10 miles …
You can get some ideas looking at results of the virtual race: http://virtualrace.fit2paddle.com/
I encourage racers to paddle different boats for comparison (a bonus in point system).
Get all three!
1000m+ - K1
5 mile+ - T-bolt
10 miles+ - V10
…
The thing about virualrace,Marek, is there isn’t enough variety yet…few skis and K1 boats… great site though- I love it!
is a K1 fastest at 1000m ?
I know little about K1 other than seeing K1 (elite racer) beat a T-bolt (elite racer) at the Fall Classic in Phila. last year- course is 8 miles flatwater…got me thinking…then I saw a v10 beat a T-bolt in a 3 mile race… lots of variables…
Variable that matters most…
… is you.
So only you can answer which would be best for you. Which is faster for you depends on your comfort (fit and balance) in each. Which can you better apply power to?
Throw in some weather and it gets easier to sort.
…
Variable that matters most…
Posted by: greyak on Sep-04-06 3:06 PM (EST)
… is you.
yes,yes… my point is if you(the theoretical “you”) would paddle all three styles of boat on FLATWATER what would be fastest?
Comparison
While not addressing all the actual boats you listed a group of adventure racers in Australia attempted to do a flatwater comparison of a range of boats. You can download their results here http://www.rapidascent.com.au/PDF/KayakTestingArticle.pdf
different waters
The surfskis are made for open water and down wind runs. In those conditions and chop it would beat k1. The tbolt and vamprie have hulls that are similair to skis and would do about the same, the big difference would be in the paddler.
k1 are made primarily for flat water so the hulls don’t need reinforcement or strength for dealing with wind and waves (however in s. africa they race k1’s in ugly white water google fish marathon, or dusi). Their design is limited by length, need for under stern rudder(k1 can have under stern rudder but then is not legal for sprint), and some other restrictions set up by icf. The skis would be expected to be slower in the flats. The tbolts and vampire do not have any rules to follow and thus can have longer water lines. Vampire is supposed to be good in shallows which tends to greatly affect k1.
If it is the same paddler who is equally comfortable in all boats then each of the boats would be faster in its element. Ie ski first in down wind conditions, k1 first in flat water, and t-bolt/vampire first in combination flat and open. I paddle k1 and surfski and do not have much experience with vampire/tbolt (my disclaimer)
eugene
my own experience
i have a ski (mark 1- slower than a V10) and a Tbolt, and had a jaguar k1 for a short time (didn’t like not being able to handle waves). The Tbolt is a very fast hull, slightly stable than the ski, but a bit faster upwind and on flats (my best 5K 7.21 ave is in the Tbolt). Downwind, there is no comparison- the ski is much, much faster (the Mark 1 is known for being a good downwind boat).
the K1? Well, I never really got comfortable in it, and my speed averages were below the ski or Tbolt, on flat water. That’s purely a reflection of my “weakness”, but it does make the point that the fastest boat is the fastest one you can paddle comfortably.
Andrew
All three
having paddled all three and owned 2 hereis my 2cents.
The v-10 is a fast stable boat and very comfortable. Quality is an issue lots of blems and braking.
The t-bolt is an awesome all around boat very fast and stable long waiting list.
Been paddling my Vampire know for 3 weeks WOOOW very fast. Atleast .5 mile an hour faster than the t-bolt. Surfs unreal much better upwind than the t-bolt. Amazing in the shallows and suck water. Takes some getting used to dial in. Extremly well built and the set up is a dream. Lots of little adjustments even rubbertubes onthe toe bar so you can remember yor setting
cheers Dan
depends on the conditions and the driver
– Last Updated: Sep-05-06 3:32 PM EST –
K1 is faster for me than open water skis on flatwater at all distances. I have modern k1s (sprint weight) and a Fenn Mako and the k1s are definitely faster. The extra weight (about 4kg heavier than the k1s) and big rudder really seem to hurt the ski. The ski feels like a barge on the flats.
A lightweight long boat like a Vampire, Huki ski, this Van Dusen that we've been hearing about etc.... outfitted with a small flatwater rudder would be just as fast as or faster (especially if you are heavier >85kg or so) than an ICF boat and more user friendly.
I test paddled a Vampire briefly and was really impressed with the speed. Definitely faster than my surfski on flatwater. Very small wake compared to a k1 at similar speeds so the wave-making drag seemed pretty small. Didn't paddle for long or in waves though so can't give comprehensive comments.
Wouldn't get a k1 unless you are going to race flatwater. I had my ski out on the ocean yesterday evening and the K1 just can't touch paddling a ski on a rough ocean for fun.
Vampire
Dan, I hope to see you and your new Vampire in the virtual race soon.
Marek
http://virtualrace.fit2paddle.com/
eft
I love my 20 in wide eft in waves because I feel so solid and can really paddle hard without bracing. EFT is best all round boat and might be a mph slower on flats.
…
eft
Posted by: davemcadoo on Sep-06-06 7:53 PM (EST)
and might be a mph slower on flats.
Dave- slower than which other boat?
vampire
Marek
Very soon!!!
Did youget new boat yet
Dan