Modifying a Kite plan for more speed?

[BigandSmall]

I thought it best to start a separate thread for this question but @dutchlennart mentioned that the Osprey/Kite hull isn't a speed demon in my Kite+6% thread and it got me thinking. If you were going to modify the stock Kite design for the following parameters what would you do?
-Paddler and gear total weight roughly 340lbs
-48 to 56 strokes per minute with a 610 cm² (94.5 in²) area double blade.

I find my 6% upscaled (in every direction) build very stable. While it's comforting to have the extra stability I assume that comfort comes at the expense of speed. Not having a design background but still curious it has me wondering if I might have been better off keeping the stock form dimensions and just increasing the spacing between stations but up to what length? 17'-17.5'-18'? Or a mixture of % increase and length increase?

Or is it a better idea to just look at different designs? I have no interest in a boat that surprisingly overturns once in a while but would be interested is trading some stability for efficiency should I build another.

This is probably a question better suited for winter when everyone in bored but I'll put it out there anyway.

Opinions?

 

[dutchlennart]

Greenval barracuda..
Not sure how well it behaves with 340 lbs.
I Did paddle that one and it is yummie with my 80 ish kilo's
I would start with that and maybe scale that. Or look very carrenfully at a blackwater or a swift cruiser.

Or put a sail on your kite.

 

[ThatPaddlingGuy]

I'm interested in this as well. I love the look of the kite, and the manoeuvrability and tripping capabilities of it. But I know my partner would prefer something with that capability but also some speed: she grew up surrounded by racing canoes, so even when we go for a mosey along the shore she tends to automatically start going up through the gears. That said, safety and functionality is always top of the list.
I've considered a Kite stretched 6% and with the forms left as designed. I wonder how much difference there would be.

I just love the look of the kite. Then there's the Merlin, which sounds like a hull designed to be faster, but with less rough-water comfort maybe? Everything is a compromise.

Canoes are fun, and variety is the spice of life.

 

[Jim Dodd]

There are computer intelligent people here, that can probably design a hull, for you.

To me ? That would be the most exciting route !

So you enlarged the Kite ?

I'm not real familiar with the Kite design.
If it has hull rocker ? Take it out.

All of Gene Jensen's racers were straight keeled.

A solo hull, meant to carry a paddler, with say a week's worth of camping gear ?
In my opinion ? 16' or slightly over, and 30" in width.

To me Bruce Kunz's 38 Spl. fits the bill pretty good.

Bruce's Merlin, was the origin, it's a fine hull. Fast, tracks well.

Someone talked Bruce, into making it bigger, for a bigger paddler.
He did, with the aid of a computer. .38% bigger.
Thus the 38 Spl. was born.
I've tried a few times to improve upon it. Still trying !

Going back ? I'd go with the forms you have, and flatten the keel. Experiment with a Racing shaped Bow stem.

Just an old guy's $.002 worth.

Jim