Vespoli MatriX 27
Vespoli MatriX 27
I 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 1,000m regatta, and I was able to take it out for a row on the night before to get some practice in.
Looks and “Cool Factor”
The Vespoli MatriX is a pretty unique looking single. It has fairly slender gunwales that extend into the stern deck as if they’re buttresses. The gunwales run fairly vertical in relation to the sides of the boat, resulting in a somewhat snug feeling rowing station. The decks sport a long crease that runs lengthwise, which is typical of other Vespoli boats of the era. The rigger is a tube-style wing rigger, resembling a framework of uniform round aluminum scaffolding. For the time, this was probably fairly forward-looking, as even up to the Aughts euro-style rigging was common. The bow is pretty typical in appearance, resembling other larger Vespolis at the time. The skeg sits midway between the stern and the cockpit, further toward the middle of the boat than you might expect.
Stiffness
Let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way first: this is an old boat. Racing shells are comprised of carbon fabric and some kind of epoxy glue; over time they tend to “loosen up” through use and the stresses of rowing and transport. If you are comparing a boat such as this to more modern counterparts, the advancements made in composite technology will become immediately apparent. That is to say, this boat was floppy as all get out. It felt elastic on every stroke; imagine pulling the string of a bow and you’ll get part of the way there.
Handling
In my limited time with the boat, I was able to gain some impressions on how this shell steers, and how it balances. I want to be clear, here, in that this boat was out of my weight class. I am a “middleweight” rower, sitting around 165 at the time I rowed this shell. This means the boat was too large for me; the impact of this usually means that a rowing shell will feel “tippy” because your mass isn’t submerging the boat to the intended waterline. In concept, think about sitting on top of a log; you get the feeling that you’re going to roll off the top. Despite this, I was able to set the boat up without any drama at all. It was quite easy to sit up in it, and left the mind to worry about other things, like getting those catches right! I raced it in a 1,000m sprint, and it was fairly simple to keep a straight line in, and make a corrective stroke when needed. In terms of spinning the boat, I would say it took a “medium” amount of time. It wasn’t super resistant, nor did it “spin on a dime”.
Comfort and Features
The MatriX 27 was a relatively comfortable boat to be in; the one I borrowed had a thin seat pad affixed to the wooden seat, which helped matters a small amount. But really, there wasn’t anything to complain about. The slides didn’t poke me in the calves at the finish (I’m looking at you, 1994 Filippi Italia S!), there was space for a water bottle in front of the rigger, there were no obtrusive ribs in the rowing station, and the deck smoothly curved down into the footwell, instead of leaving a sharp edge. Overall, not a bad place to be!
Price
This is probably the high point of a Vespoli MatriX. These are fairly common, Vespoli was not renowned for their small boats of this era. As a result, you can likely pick one up in great condition for a very low price, making this a great value.
