New Race, New Rules?

PatDolan

The Pa’a ‘Eono Hoe is three days away. This race will change our sport. By opening the field to any six-man canoe specifications our sport is taking a step in the right direction. Don’t get me wrong- I do believe in preserving the culture and tradition of Hawaiian outrigger canoe paddling. We will always remember and honor where/how Hawaiian canoe paddling came to be. But we have already stepped away from tradition by changing so many things, such as racing in fiberglass canoes. If there are six people in the canoe with an ama rigged out to the left, is the tradition not alive anymore? Why not open the specifications completely?
http://www.velzyhawaii.com/Velzy_Hawaii/Blog/Entries/2010/5/20_New_Race%...

Submitted by PatDolan on Thu, 05/20/2010 - 3:49am

toa moana

i watch it and paddle it

certainly worth a shot to try out shorter canoes, K1 is 17 feet, 4 feet shorter than a surf ski -i imagine with a little more stability it they could rock the skis in the ocean.

#141 Wed, 06/23/2010 - 4:59am

goodwaka

Sure the kneeling position gives an advantage in power application, and in theory a longer thinner hull has more wetted skin than a shorter wider one, so all up these factors make a C1 into a good sprinter.
When reserve bouyancy and stability comes into the play, as well as ability to punch through chop for long distance, then hull length alone is an oversimplification of requirements. Having a rudder allows for a shorter hull length (OC is shorter compared to Va'a) ...but when rough water calls for reserve bouyancy in the nose, then something over 17ft makes good.

#142 Wed, 06/23/2010 - 10:45am

Jim

I heard you can get way more power in the stroke while kneeling.

#143 Wed, 06/23/2010 - 11:54am

koacanoe

Just a few things that should be mentioned:

The surfski (BM1 or Burton Molokai 1) that still owns the Molokai record is 19' 4" in length. The trend is going back to shorter skis.
The first production bump rider OC-1 (Honukai) was 20' 0" in length. The 20.5' appears to be the accepted standard length.
Karel Tresnak, Sr. was the first to race the Molokai solo kneeling down in a mono hull canoe (no ama) that he designed and made. And yes, he paddled only on one side. If anyone has a picture, please post it.
Use of battery operated pumps was permitted to bail out these sit inside cockpit kayaks. Just a flip of a switch bailed them out fast with a rooster tail too.
Rules were very minimal and it didn't matter whether your canoe had an ama or not. If you used a double bladed paddle, then you paddled a kayak. If you used a single bladed paddle, then your boat was a canoe. Very simple and "Jungle Rules" prevailed. The only requirement was that you had to vouch that your boat was "seaworthy."

#144 Wed, 06/23/2010 - 6:45pm

mulus

With a va'a you can almost get in a high kneeling position, but you lose the ability to use a rudder, they come in handy.

#145 Wed, 06/23/2010 - 8:19pm

fabrice

Well, I guess this conversation means we -more or less- agree.
If one can get a blast from a 17 ft canoe (in calm waters), let's try a downsizing of an OC and record datas from it.
sea kayaks come frequently in 17 to 18 ft lengths, but -of course- they're not speed machines.

As for the "seaworthiness", I think the shape has more to do with it than the length, but it's hard to tell without valuable data on it.
Epic has a good video on wave piercing bows versus classic bows, but it's hard to tell if it's commercialy biased or real stuff.

The kneel down also is worth a try, at least in calm waters !

Thanks to all for keeping an open mind.

#146 Fri, 06/25/2010 - 2:52am

Please register or login to post a comment.