The weight of the kayak is the same as current kayaks, but the width was reduced from 60cm to 53cm, in line with the recent rule change. Once the kayak is complete it will be tested in wild water conditions to determine the impact of the reduced width of the vessel. With positive results, the next step will be taking the kayak into racing conditions.
The team will continue to focus on the circular economy, running recycling trials with the material and studying the recovered fiber to create future uses.
Emma Burns, also a graduate research engineer at the NCC and co-leader of the kayak project, added, “Being able to see a project through from an idea to a completed product was really rewarding. Leading the project from the technical side, I gained insight and understanding into so many areas- from tooling to material selection, through to manufacture.”
