Racing Kayaks

Previously named the Esprit, the Argo is an achievable step into more responsiveness and speed for kayakers who like to retain plenty of stability.  The Argo has a similar hull to the Reliance but is slightly narrower through the mid-section.  It feels solid on the water and responds like a dream.  If you are a confident beginner or ready to take the next step in your kayaking progression, this is the perfect racing kayak for you.

• Fishform hull design for efficiency, comfort and confidence
• Sensible length for easy, quick manoeuvring 
• Easy to control in winds
• Capable of good results

The Gyro is designed for smaller paddlers up to 72kg and blends a slippery-fast, rounded hull with elegantly flared sides for excellent secondary stability.  The result is a hull that gives you the best of both worlds - elite-level speeds with intermediate-level stability.

What's in the name?  Grahame Sisson designed what he called the Nucleus range after many years of designing and building racing kayaks.  Nearing the end of his full-time career he took lessons from what worked and what didn't work into a design that he considers to be his best ever, particularly the smallest of the range which he called the Nucleus 60.  We love paddling this boat and so we decided it would be fitting to re-name it after Grahame - whose nick-name is Gyro (pronounced Jai-row).  An apt nick-name for a clever, well researched man with exceptional ingenuity and innovation.

For progressing intermediate paddlers, the Gyro is an excellent step into the world of slippery hulls.  It won't feel rock-solid like a wider, flat-bottomed beginner boat at first, but after just a few sessions in this boat paddlers learn to relax and utilise the hull's excellent secondary stability.  It's like having a nice safety net - all the feedback without the consequences.  Soon, the "wobbles" subside, better balance comes and with it the comfort and confidence to paddle a fast, narrow racing hull.

For expert paddlers, the Gyro is a super-fun kayak that reminds you how much fun paddling can be.  It's shorter length compared to most elite boats makes it much more nimble in rapids.  It rails nicely just like your elite boat, but it feels much more stable.  Imagine having the confidence to take both hands off the paddle in moving water to eat.  And here's the kicker - it's just as fast as your elite boat. It really is. In all of our testing in various conditions under a range of power inputs, the Gyro has performed as good, if not better, than the elite boats we've tested against.  There is no speed compromise for the convenience of this shorter, more stable hull, due to it's very clever design.

Please note that the maximum weight suggestion is related to the boat's handling in rough water.  A Gyro can also be paddled on flat water with great results by a larger (80+ kg) paddler.

The Vanquish is for Elite level paddlers who want to win.  At only 400 mm wide the Vanquish is not for the faint hearted and has proven itself unbeatable in capable hands.  This is the boat that Steve Gurney had originally wanted, then finally received and used to good effect when he overtook Keith Murray on the river in their momentous 2001 Coast to Coast showdown.

Due to the narrow waterline this hull is incredibly slippery through the water and the carefully calculated length offers perfect wave straddling on most grade 2 river wave-trains.  Lighter paddlers will press the hull sufficiently into the water to realise the optimal waterline length.  There's enough volume to cope with heavier paddlers who want the fastest hull available, too.

Like the Evo Spectre, the top deck is carefully designed to shed water from the bow and avoid catching wind.

The tough rudder system provides surprisingly high levels of manoeuvrability for a long boat, and just the right amount of rocker at each end of the hull makes this boat very predictable in the boils and cross currents of rivers.  The Vanquish holds its line and holds its speed, but will turn quickly and precisely when required.

At Nautique Paddle Sports NZ we believe that paddling an Evolution Vanquish is a perfectly valid and respectable life goal.  The Vanquish is a beautiful beast.

The Voyager is an ideal touring and adventure racing double kayak for experienced paddlers.  Compared to the Touring model, the AR model is stripped back to basics with just two sealed compartments.

The “Greenlander” bow provides dynamic lift when the boat strikes a wave, thus keeping the bow paddler drier and paddling harder.  The Humps© allow the stern paddler to keep his or her feet in the normal straight-up orientation allowing a much stronger paddling position and better comfort. The Sidetanks© add strength and stiffness to the Voyager so that it rams “shudderless” through large waves.

The Real hatches keep the two pressure tested compartments dry at all times.

Fully retractable rudder.

In adventure racing conditions the Voyager is extremely well regarded by many of the sports' top competitors.

Some unsolicitored quotes:-
Jeff Mitchell – “You have another good boat there! Quick on the flat water of Lake Coleridge which we were first across after the group started together on the second day. I was in the front of one, really nice to paddle. It felt like a racing boat as it was going so cleanly through the water. Stable, quick, appears really solid, and looks damn good. It is on my shopping list for later!”
Nathan Fa’avae – “Left the JKK boats in our dust”
Steve Gurney – “Three Voyagers went cruising to Ripapa Island two nights ago. A stiff Easterly blew up for our return, so I got out the kite. YEEEEEEEHHHHHHHAAAAR! Ian and I were launching off waves, skipping past the others having the time of our lives! What a blast! Nice boats thanks Gyro (Grahame's nickname), they handle the rough and tumble really well. Lisa and I took it fishing to Motunau Beach. We caught 9 Blue Cod. Lisa and I are just about to out for an hour or so now. That makes it 5 days in a row in the Voyager.”
Jim Davidson – “We love our boats”
Ian Adamson – “The boats went really well, and we did our best to destroy them! John managed to pile into a cliff doing 15 knots on the Rakaia, and only succeeded in making a 10cm crack in the nose! Mike and I went over a 1 metre drop and seesawed for a minute or so over the lip before plunging down into the river. We didn’t notice the boat flex even a mm”