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I happened upon this model by accident as I was browsing the Epic range. I wanted a boat that could take touring kayak loads but with an open cockpit as I live in a very hot region of the World, and find kayaks way too stifling. I also wanted to fit a sail to it, so needed good forward access to reinforce the deck. I did not want a surf ski with hatches, as I need it to perform with 70lbs of gear on board. I have many years of experience paddling, so I have a pretty good idea of what works well on the water. On my first paddle I sensed it was stable with very good secondary stability, a good feature for a sail. It moves well on the water and has surprisingly good glide and speed, considering its 16ft length. In the surf it’s great fun as its compact size means quicker manoeuvring to get on a bump.The retractable rudder is also super handy when you lay it down on the sand, beats resting it on a skeg, especially with gear on board. The mast stays conveniently marry to the location of the grab rope mounts which means no extra holes needed to be added. I looked at the Stellar S18S as well as this but the Epic won out with its design features….grab rope, large access hatches, retractable rudder, brilliant bailer and the fact that it was deigned specifically to take touring loads helped me through the decision making process. Now it may not be the fastest boat around, but that was not a priority, more importantly was efficiency, and for its size it maintains a good turn of speed at cruising effort. Its shorter length is also a bonus during handling and storage. Overall this is a 5 star boat to me, it’s capable in the surf, balanced with a load, has great stability, is easy to manage and is beautifully built.