Only Kirton offer a full range of sprint and marathon class craft which you can view by clicking on one of the boxes to the right. Not only do we offer a full selection of racing kayaks and canoes we also offer a selection of development kayaks for the younger and less experienced paddlers.
	When you buy your racing kayak consider the three fundamentals of design to achieve your potential. Here at Kirton we offer a range to suit just about every reasonable variation. Remember, in addition to being a boat designer, MD Dave Green has been kayak racing for over 40 years - expert advice on the most suitable craft is here for you.
	This is affected by length and resistance to surface area. Forward speed in any displacement boat is directly proportional to the square root of the waterline length which means that the most effective way to improve that economical speed is to increase the waterline length. The International Rules that govern our sport, however, limit the length of the craft for each class and so Resistance due to Surface Area becomes an important factor in canoe/kayak design if we are to take the maximum advantage from paddler's available power. Unfortunately the cross sections which produce the lower friction surface areas tend to offer the most unstable padding platforms and so compromises have to be sought to deal with individual balancing problems.
	It is not enough to be able to stay upright in the boat. The paddler must be able to work it to the best of his ability. It is always better to choose a design that you can cope with, even if this design has a greater surface area than would be theoretically ideal. The boat may be potentially slower but you will certainly go faster if you are able to direct all your strength and technique into the paddle. To make your choice easier we have established our own stability 1-10 grading scale. '1' is the most unstable but theoretically fastest, and '10' the most stable, within the design rules, which a novice can master very quickly.
	The design rule is to choose a racing machine having the correct volume for your weight. A boat's measured underwater volume establishes its carrying capacity, and we feel strongly that to reduce deck height with a view to offering the same shape for the lighter paddler is quite wrong. This is why Kirton offer the racing canoeist such a wide range. To make your choice easier we specify the recommended weight range for each of our craft.
Racing kayaks K1 and K2 updated March 2003 K1 Teknik Gold medal: World Cup 1 Kungalv, Sweden 2002 Silver medal: World Cup 2 Maribo, Denmark 2002 Forth Place: World Champ. Zamora, Spain 2002