“Hey, we need to get you out in a brand new model year racing shell, to check out the improvements we’ve made. Oh, and how about rowing on a historic waterway?”. Connections were made, and in August this year, I found myself in a brand-new 2023 Fluidesign Fluidelite rowing underneath the Seattle skyline, during sunrise, on Union Bay.
Read MoreHow do we define good value when it comes to a boat? Some folks define value as the least expensive shell that floats; others define it as the fastest boat money can buy. Still others value craftsmanship and features above all else. I’m going to define my conditions for good value later in the conclusion, however, in order to have that discussion, we need to talk about a newcomer in the rowing space: Nelo.
Read MoreDear Van Dusen (the company); Everyone loves you, but why aren’t you the current sales leader in racing singles? Your designs were historically way ahead of the game, in almost a mind-bending way. Many competitors are only now incorporating the design features you pioneered. Everyone knows your brand name and respects it.
Van Dusen, I think we should talk…
Read MoreSpoiler Alert! I’m reviewing the coolest brand you can buy right now, full stop. But, is it the best racing single you can get? Read on to find out…
Read MoreThere have been monumental shifts in the industry in the last 20 years, with the last 10 years seeing some fairly large developments in the design and manufacture of racing shells. Today, I’m going to talk about a boat you can actually buy, brand new, at the time of writing.
Read More“I need a boat for our club’s fleet. Everyone needs to use it, from masters to youth rowers. It needs to be durable, relatively sleek and somewhat easy to set. Oh, and I need to buy a few of them, so they have to be affordable”. Well, I might just have the perfect boat for you…
Read MoreI have a super cool racing shell to talk about this time; a 2007 Hudson Predator Sport. What makes this single so cool?
Read MoreThe rowing club we’re associated with recently picked up a used WinTech Competitor 1x, and naturally I had to give it a try. Amazingly, this boat had only been rowed once or twice (!) before being put away for 10 (!!) years. The oarlocks looked brand new, and the boat had absolutely no dirt on it whatsoever. There’s an occasional scuff or scratch where someone must have scraped it while it was (presumably) hanging up. This was a killer find, people.
Read MoreI had the opportunity to try out an older Vespoli MatriX 27 (that’s how Vespoli prefers it to be spelled according to their site), which is an early-aughts heavyweight single. It was loaned to me for a Masters 1000m regatta, and I was able to take it out for a row on the night before to get some practice in.
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