The Stellar Rapid-S multisport racing kayak is back in New Zealand ahead of the 2025/2026 season.
The Rapid-S has a distinctly local origin, having been designed and built specifically for the Coast to Coast race. The hull is derived from Stellar's popular SES design, with a construction that balances flexibility and stiffness to handle contact with the river bottom on class 1 and 2 rapids.
At 6.2 metres long and 15.6kg, the boat is built in a single-skin carbon and Kevlar laminate with a gelcoat finish. The bow deck uses a high-volume streamlined shape to shed water when punching through rapids, maintaining momentum on the downstream side. The over-stern rudder is a kick-up design that lifts clear on contact with shallow ground.
Beam is 41.4cm, depth 40cm, with a paddler range of 1.5m to 1.88m and a 100kg capacity.
The Rapid-S is also rated for flat water, slack water, and lakes, covering the open-water legs typical of multisport events.
