: Can anyone steer me towards some fast boat designs? I have a Night Heron,
: which I'm quite happy with. But when I'm trying to push my speed a bit I
: see the wake off the bow and think I could be going faster. The Night
: Heron is 18' with a 20" beam and relatively hard chines. I'm thinking
: 19 or 20', maybe 17 or 18" beam and round bottom. Am I on the right
: track here for speed and does anyone know of any stripper designs that fit
: these parameters?

: thanks,
: Mark

You might email Ken Katz for notes on the one-off race boat he used on SF Bay in recent years. I forget who designed it for him, but think you should have a look before deciding. I think the design was quite successful in our choppy water, although Ken did say once that if you looked over your shoulder you'd be in the drink, it was that tender. Pretty much a round hull section as I recall--like a surf ski with cockpit.

Ken's web presence seems to have diminished, but you can find his postings on this forum. Here's a brief one from Laughing Loon, re the Shooting Star baidarka. Rob Macks may have contact info. Good luck!
http://www.laughingloon.com/ss.review.html

--SF