Sea Racer – Chris Luedke

Saturday, October 1, 2011 (Sea Racer – launching), 1 comments

"Dear Bjorn,

After nine weeks of intense work I have finished your design. The Sea Racer came in at 17kg with a Smart Track rudder system. This was my first build and the whole thing went together quickly and easily. I raised the arch of the deck to accommodate my feet (Size 13US) and I do not believe it took anything away from the lines of the boat. My wife was kind enough to let me use the garage and evict her car during construction resulting in passers by stopping in regularly to see the boat under construction. On that note I have to say that your build instructions through your website were incredibly helpful and resulted in a quick and clean build. I used the graphite coating on the hull and it looks beautiful, you will notice I also "tattooed" the boat with a frisket mask for the triskele.

I christened the boat Artemis II yesterday and took it for a spin, all I can say is wow, it is extremely efficient and flys with little effort. Having moved to this kayak from a 24 inch beam Granita design S&G I was concerned about stability but I stayed dry and found initial and secondary stability to be fantastic for such a narrow hull. According to my wife the craft leaves very little wake, a sign of the efficiency I was looking for. Drivers passing the lake stopped in the middle of the road to watch me paddle and were amazed by the lines of your beautiful design.

I built the boat with one race in mind, the Missouri River 340, 340 miles from Kansas City to St. Louis in 88 hours or less. Considering its speed, stability, and efficiency I am confident this was the right choice. It is an amazing kayak and after building this one I am already thinking about building another one of your designs, and would highly recommend your designs to others.

Sincerely,
Chris Luedke
Nashotah, Wisconsin, USA"