This paper sets out the effects of the various factors which determine the speed of racing kayaks and canoes, with the aim of identifying the areas most likely to lead to improvements. The friction, wave and aerodynamic components of hull drag are first described in terms of the hull parameters, in order to provide accurate predictions of propulsive power as a function of hull speed. The generation of thrust by paddling is described via the mechanics of vortex-ring wakes, in order to determine the propulsive efficiency in terms of the parameters describing the blade and stroke. Equating the thrust and drag then leads to reliable estimates of the mechanical power actually delivered by a canoeist. The earlier analysis then leads to a predictive model for hull speed in terms of all the parameters describing the hull and blade performance. This is used to determine the sensitivity of hull speed to small changes in each parameter, enabling the most important factors to be identified. The paper concludes with a discussion of the various improvements to kayaks that have actually appeared in recent years, and uses the earlier analysis to explain and predict the resulting speed changes.
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