I just purchased for $500.00 a kevlar Sawyer Champion 18’-06" canoe with sliding front seat and fixed rear seast. It look sto be in excellent shape with nearly no hull blemishes and only one very minor gunwale deformity near the stern. I’m looking to get back into tandem marathon canoe racing with my young Son and am wondering if I chose wisely. Please advise of any information or personal experience you may have about this canoe and its performance.
I can’t help you with the canoe, but
the first thing I would do is change out that rear fixed seat to a sliding one.
It is a easy job, and I would also make it have a long slide.
A very important aspect of tandem canoe racing is to have a trim boat, and with two paddlers with a big difference in weight it is much easier to get it trim with both seats able to slide.
good luck and welcome to the club
Cheers,
JackL
Sawyer Champ
A friend of mine has one in a much heavier layup than kevlar (fiberglass?). I’ve paddled it w/ him @ # of times & always enjoyed it’s efficiency. His also has fixed rear seat & no footbrace. In addition to slider Jack recommends, be sure to add a footbrace.
An 18’6" kevlar hull is likely gonna force you into the most competitive of classses if you race where you’ll be forced to compete w/ more modern, sleeker, lighter hulls but you can still have fun racing regardless. Enjoy