Any of y’all familiar with the Rapid-S and similar style boats? What’s the correct term for this type of boat? I love the idea of a fast flatwater boat with enough bow volume to punch through rapids.
Reading the description sent me down an internet rabbit hole. So far I’ve found these boats in long distance class II races in New Zealand and South Africa. I’m intrigued but having a difficult time finding information. Do any events similar to that exist here in the U.S.?
Looks like a longer skinnier Epic 18X, so I’d call it a racing kayak. With a 16 inch beam it should be as fast as racing SOTs. I doubt my feet would fit under that deck.
Looks cool but I’d be upside down more than right side up with 16" beam. Probably wouldn’t even fit in it anyway.
1 Like
That looks like a downriver racing boat.
I hope you feel comfortable paddling a 16” beam kayak. You would do well to demo and rent some kayaks that aren’t such a huge jump from short-kinda-wide to long and skinny.
2 Likes
Having been a racer for quite a while I would say it looks like it can compete in more than just downriver work.
Fast in flat water means a flat keel line, that does not mean all surfskis are fast in flatwater. Going downwind, or downriver usually takes more rocker to keep some of the boat in the water all the time.
In many ways the new Stellar looks like what Doug Bushnell designed for Westside Boat Shop, though Doug like longer boats. I admit partiality to them because I have one and it is one of my favorite boats.
2 Likes
“downriver racing boat” that’s the term I was looking for. At this point it’s just something I stumbled upon surfing the net, but I’m intrigued and would love to give one a try some day.