fitness paddling: exercise, train, race by kayak & canoe

You may be also interested to read Nigel's post on his Dover to Herne Bay at South East Sea Kayak forum.

My Rapier 20 by Nigel Hatton

I have only been canoeing for two years and my first kayak was the Perception Acadia. After some time I wanted to cover more distance and go a little faster so I bought a Carolina. This was the most comfortable kayak I ever had. One day i paddled it from Plymouth to Brixham in 12 hours a trip of 42 miles. Then of course I went for the Janautica Anadyr 17 1/2 ft long and 55 cms wide. I thought it was the quickest thing since my wheeless scateboard.

Last year I rode my scooter to some cliffs near to where I was living, Brixham in Devon and I saw a fella paddling out to Berry Head in a bright yellow sea kayak. He was shifting and appeared to be kitted out with all the stuff somebody would take on a longish trip. I rode the scooter out to Berry Head and just cought sight of the writing on the side of his kayak, expeditionkayak.com. This guy was paddling 4500 miles round the country for charity.

Anyway to cut a long story short I kind of built up an online aquaitance with Mr Sean Morly and later decided that I would be interested in buying his sea racing kayak. The said kayak was a Nelo Moskito FW 2000 but there were problems and i never did get the thing. Mr Morley bought my attention to the new Valley Rapier 20. This thing is 20 ft long and 45 cm wide at the cockpit rim. Being one of lifes doers I placed an order and after a few weeks I took delivery of my new bright orange and yellow decked sea racer and £1900 less in my pocket. These are my impressions of what could be the Worlds quickest sea kayak.

The weight of my R20 is about 14 kilos, fantastic ! Having just put the thing in the water at Herne Bay Harbour I then had to get my 16 stone body into the tiny entry of the cockpit but as long as you sit on the rear deck and slide in there's no real problem. The initial stability was very good considering its width at 45 cms but less at the waterline 42 I think. Now I am 6'3" tall and fairly top heavy after having spent 28 years as a bodybuilder and competition powerlifter but I could sit there without going over. I side sculled it away from the slip and into deeper water where I could fasten my custom made Chillcheater rubber spraydeck.

Paddling in a straight line I felt the tracking was not as good as a 20 footer should be. I think this is down to the stern being so light that there's not enough of it in the water to give it lateral resistance. A rudder is fitted but like all rudders it is slow to respond and I think I will need to learn how to use it. I don't mean the obvious but to be able to predict when I will need it.

I paddle with a 2.3 carbon Kirton Wing paddle and this is a must if you want power strokes and bracing strokes at the same time. Although anybody reading this will need several days to master a wing paddle and you will need "body rotation" to make them work properly. With such a narrow kayak I could keep my balance as well as move quickly across the flat water of the harbour. Well that's OK butwhat if it's rough water and I go over ? Well let's find out! "Splash" my head hit the water so fast after tilting over I almost didn't have time to hold my breath. Upsidedown I placed the paddle in the normal screw roll possition and up I came. I paddled forwards at about 7mph and again I tipped myself over to make it more realistic, no problems at all. I came up without even stopping.

One kayak is not ever so much quicker than any other kayak just a few miles an hour or so but the difference is in the distance travelled over time. My Perception Acadia and I did 15 miles in 4 hours once but during the Poole Harbour Canoe Race recently Ian Tordoff did the same distance in 117 minutes that's under 2 hours and he paddled the prototype Rapier 20 the same one he paddled across the Channel to set a new World Record of 3 hour 22 minutes. So this is where you see the difference actualy my old K1 was quicker than the Rapier but I would not notice it on the sea becuase I would capsize in any more that 3 foot waves. I have taken the Rapier 20 out in 4 foot waves and found it manageable yet I will get better with more time. This year so far I have paddled 900 miles and I have another 100 miles to go to complete my new years resolution for 2005 thay will be completed in the R20.

Am I pleased with it? Well I think so but it's also Winter and can't get out so much. Is it worth buying? Not if all your going to do is touring but for racing it's a must! I have raced 6 times this year but the only one I won was the Helford Marathon in Cornwall becuase I was the only sea kayak in the 8 mile course in my other boat Janautica Anadyr.

I have since paddled the Rapier over 15 miles in 2hr 1min 10 secs, I will get better in time and I am 42, max speed so far in currentsless calm water is 9.2 mph don't think it will go faster.

Related post:

• Rapier 20 and 18 from Valley Sea Kayaks
• Valley Sea Kayaks brochure
• Valley Kayaks Rapier 20 Pictures from North Kent, UK
• Valley Kayaks Rapier 20 and WSBS X-par Missile: Can I Fit My Butt into a Narrow Racing Kayak?