Dramatic lines
As our local boat guru WilsoJ2 pointed out to me yesterday, Aled has favored a complex hard chine edge blended with softer remainder of the hull shape. He feels this is what is producing the responsiveness of the boat to even moderate edging. Unlike some boats with harder chines it does not catch an edge.
Yesterday in 20 mph+ winds it was fantastically controllable. For example on a beam run it needed no skeg, minor edging held it on line. Downwind it accelerated beautifully catching waves. I detected no broaching. In fact I could change angles at will down wave faces. The boat has very predictable edge feel, gave me allot of confidence in the wind and waves on only my fourth paddle this spring and first time in the Xcite in real conditions. Impressive.
I had a chance to view the boat while our friends tried it. The boat is really terrific looking and I can see how precisely it can be maneuvered.
So for testing revealed no flaws. This boat looks like a winner both as a hard core rock-tiderace-surf boat and a true day boat.
Swede Form
The Cetus is notably Swede Form. The Xcite appeared more balanced - neither fish nor Swede.
The Xcite has a deeper stern than the Cetus. It is also not so beamy at its widest.
To be frank, the Xcite seemed more like a very refined Explorer/Romany than a Cetus. The comments form those who paddled it yesterday (both of whom own Explorers and have paddled my Nordkapp LV) rather confirm that sense.
I hope to paddle this Xcite soon…
More shots of tideplay’s Xcite
More shots of this beautiful boat start here: http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2303594430048488250ewQghZ
None of these shots show the 9.5-19 knot (11-22 mph) winds with gusts to 24.3 knots (28 mph)that we experienced for much of our paddle yesterday. We paddled downwind, crossed in beam wind and then paddled up wind. There is enough fetch to the lake for some good whitecaps and chop. It was pretty good conditions to get a feel for a boat's personality.
Boats in the pod were: TideRace Xcite, P&H Vela, WS Sparrow Hawk, Dagger Meridian Sk/S and Valley Nordkapp LV.
Who’s stupid idea was that?
“We paddled downwind, crossed in beam wind and then paddled up wind.”
A few shots of the Xcite in conditions
From website of Thomas Nicholson
http://bolgenogmeg.com/section7/section7_nevlunghavn.html
Anyone with sense enough to wear…
…Glacier Gloves definitely deserves this boat.
Woah, that is a sick kayak!!
I’ve actually never heard of that brand. But damn, way to score on one awesome kayak!
Hey, everyone agreed
No one of us was dumb enough to come with that alone. It took four of us to decide to trust the (wrong!) forecast. Given that the cumulative age was a bit over 200 years, we can’t blame rash youth.
the lake from above
While these paddlers were on the water, I was on the summit of a Lake George mountain I had hiked, and looked down on the turbulent waters. There were even white-caps in the small bays and coves, attesting to the rough weather that day. While I could not see these skilled kayakers out in the whitecaps due to distance away, I can attest to the conditions that they were in must have been challenging!
I gave you …
a shout out about 1pm, but apparently only TidePlay heard me.
safety gear?
hmmm wetzool, a signal mirror might have worked better. lol
Actually all of us heard…
though maybe only tideplay and I understood you were calling to martin.
A signal mirror may have been misinterpreted and certainly those who saw it would be unlikely to realize that it was an hello to martin 
The conditions were a major reason I didn’t get into the Xcite. I hadn’t been in my Nordlow in conditions since last Autumn - I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to reacquaint myself with the boat… and it performed wonderfully!
The rest of us were wearing…
Deep See 4 mil Comfort Dry Gloves
History of the Brit Boats: Anas Acuta
For those interested in the history and family tree of Brit Boats here is an article that traces the Greenland beginnings of the Anas Acuta, and the family tree up to contemporary Brit Boats.
The Rockpool and Tiderace boats share this lineage!
Who knew???
http://www.nessmuking.com/articles/igdlorssuit-free-plans-for-the-boat-before-anas-acuta/
PS The website is updated and has quite allot more information on the boats, demos, and will feature much more information.
Who knew???
The Anas is the origin boat for pretty much all Valley and NDK boats, as well as the Rockpool and Tiderace boats.
The process of rounding the chines of the Anas to make the Pintail has been noted on this board more than once. Aled laid out the evolution of the Romany on this board a few years ago - including using battens to harden up the chines in the Pintail mold they were using. Valley notes that the Avocet and Aquanaut derive from the Pintail. The Nordkapp predates the Pintail and derives directly from the Anas. Someone posted here a bit ago photos of their Anas and Nordkapp which made the relationship obvious.
Anas Acuta - Pintail (Anas with round chines) - Romany (derived from modified Pintail mold by Aled Williams and Nigel Dennis) - Rockpool then TideRace designed by Aled Williams.
At Some Point
These apples get so far from the tree I suspect their differences are more significant than their similarities. Also, one would hope kayak designers have learned a thing or two about the needs of today’s recreational (as opposed to hunting) paddler over the past 50 years and have developed designs accordingly.
I think we sometimes get a little carried away on this Greenland heritage/design history thing and its significance.
True, it is all pretty academic…
Looking at tideplay's Xcite one can observe that there has been a lot of refinement. The boat is a more mature design than a Romany or Explorer. While my Nordkapp LV (a very recent model boat) sitting next to a friend's classic Pintail (a well over 15 year old design) the shared heritage is clear.
Plus... none of the boats in the lineage I noted were designed by Derek Hutchinson ;-)
I thought they all were designed
by Derek H. and if not they were shameless copies of boats he did design.
However, I believe it is a baseless rumor that Noah consulted Derek H. when building the ark.
they were shameless copies
Well, of course as DH taught the Greenlanders to paddle and all the boats I noted descend from a West Greenland kayak they are all "shameless copies" of Hutchinson's design ;-)
The Ark not being a paddle boat, you are probably right that Noah did not consult DH and it was not a shameless copy of one of his designs.
Frank Goodman
I think Frank Goodman deserves a lot of credit for the evolution of the modern sea kayak. He decided to produce Ken Taylor’s boat in fiberglass. I believe he is responsible either wholly or in some part for every Valley design from the Nordkapp through the Pintail to the Avocet. As I recall the Aquanaut was the last boat in which Goodman had input.
There were a lot of Valley models from 1971 to 2003 - many still well regarded and a goodly number still in production.