Quad kayak
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Quad kayak (K4) (also kayak quad ) is a boat class in canoeing . It is a kayak that is moved by four seated people with a double paddle . It is a competitive discipline in canoe racing and occasional canoe marathon run.
The four-person kayak is the fastest boat class in canoe racing (also faster than larger boat classes such as eight-canoe or dragon boat ). The boat is also known as a crew boat .
technology
The paddle is usually used alternately on the right and left side of the boat. All paddlers use the paddle as synchronously as possible .
Furnishing
Since these boats are supposed to achieve the fastest possible times, they are only very spartan: They have four seat shells, mostly made of hard plastic , which have different shapes depending on the area of use, and four stretcher boards, which are boards or plates inside the boat which the feet are braced in order to achieve a more comfortable sitting position and optimized power transmission. A stretcher can be made of wood, plastic or metal. In addition, a foot control is attached to the stretcher of the batsman (front driver), via which he moves a control fin at the stern of the boat with the help of ropes in order to influence the direction of the boat. In canoe racing, there is a metal rod with foam padding just in front of the stretcher. The feet are then clamped between this roller and the stretcher in order to achieve a better fixation of the feet and to be able to move the boat up and down in a targeted manner.
Disciplines
The four-man kayak for women (500 m) and men (1000 m) is an Olympic sport in canoe racing . In addition, world, European and national championships are held in this boat class (over 200, 500 and 1000 m respectively).
There are no official championships in this boat class in the canoe marathon, but there are various national international races.
Boat dimensions
The K4 in canoe racing and canoe marathon is max. 1100 cm long and weighs at least 30 kg (racing). The width of the boat has not been fixed since 2001 and has become increasingly narrow since then. Modern boats are often only about 40 cm narrow.