V12 Ultra

Fra designeren selv:

The new, updated V12 is designed to be the ultimate downwind machine for elite level paddlers.

Even though the Epic V14 has been very successful in major openwater events (including 3 Molokai victories), our team riders have expressed the desire for a surfski that is more nimble in the runs. So we added a significant amount of rocker, reconfigured the cockpit to give a dryer ride, moved the rudder forward for more control and added a hint of extra stability to give full confidence when it’s time to lay the hammer down.

We sent 3 different prototype versions of this boat to Hawaii for thorough testing by team paddlers in a variety of conditions. The consensus was that the new V12 was a huge improvement in downwind performance. Our riders had a few more tweaks they wanted to add to make the boat even better.
Conditions were small during the Molokai event and I raced one of the prototypes. Even in these small conditions, I felt better than I ever had in any boat. It seemed to pick up the small bumps without even trying and the stability made for a comfortable ride throughout the race. At age 56, I was on track to easily finish within the top 10 overall, until I took a risk cutting between reefs at the end and got washed up by a breaking wave. I still managed a respectable 12th place finish.

We’ve made the changes to our tooling and the new V12 is now ready for you! This is not a simple modification of our previous V12, but completely re-designed from the ground up. Elite level surfski racers will appreciate the way it easily links the runs together in big conditions. Others will find they are able to step up from the V10 to the new V12 and reach higher speeds on the flats.

While the new V12 cockpit is relatively narrow, the seat is slightly wider than the V14 – allowing some paddlers to fit with more comfort. It is suitable for paddlers from 5’3” to 6’7” (1.6 to 2.01m) in height.
Highly skilled elite level paddlers with perfect stability skills will find the V14 slightly faster on flat water. But as soon as the wind and waves pick up the new V12 will be their weapon of choice. Mere mortals who want a really fast boat on flat water that can also handle rough stuff will find a good fit in the new Epic V12.

Greg Barton