[Paddlewise] Mirage - a fast boat???

Hello all,
  MarvL (hardly) here.  PeterO has suggested that I comment on a recent
paddle I had the good fortune to experience.
  After 15 years of "assisting" a large group of scientific researchers,
an assignment came along that required me to travel to Sydney, Australia
to collaborate with none other than PeterO of PaddleWise fame!!  Yes, I
know, tough assignment but....  My first direct contact with PeterO was a
handshake as we scurried to the weekly "grinding, muscle tearing" paddle
with the infamous Commodores of Sydney Harbor fame!!!  What a great group
of fun-loving people!      
  Peter had arranged for me to paddle a Mirage, I believe 19'.
  A question in the form of a comment:
   Being from the central part of the US, I've had very few opportunities
to paddle other sea kayaks.  In fact, I built my boat, a Pygmy Queen
Charlotte XL mahogany kit, before EVER sitting in a kayak!  Yes, the
initial shakedown cruise was very conservative in an isolated cove on our
local reservoir.  My Pygmy is 17.5' long, 25" wide (extremely stable), and
weighs 52 lbs. with bulkheads and hatches.  My thoughts on the Mirage
include:  good stability, a good fit for a 6'2", 200 lb paddler, and an
excellent boat that I would certainly like to own.  BUT, and here finally
is the question, the Mirage seemed slow to me, and yet it has a reputation
of being fast????  In thinking about this, my only idea may be that
because I was significantly taller than its owner, perhaps the seat was
too far forward???  Any thoughts? 
Good, safe paddling to all,
MarvL
   

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