[Paddlewise] Racing Baidarkas

WoodenBoat Magazine had an article on the construction of a baidarka for
racing in a fairly hairy, long distance race somehwere on the east coast.
It was a double.  They won the race, but didn't break any records, but then
conditions were pretty bad.  It is hard to determine if they won due to
superior equipment, ability, or plain good luck. I don't know if they
repeated their performance this past year.

Remember that baidarkas have rather selective flexibility.  I beleive they
are designed with joints in the keel to hog, (middle rises while the ends
droop) but not bend the other way much.  I am not sure how much rigidity
they have in other ways, like torsionally, or in terms of how much the skin
flexes (do they breath a lot when you stuff them into a wave?).

Rob.

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