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Viewpoint for review: 5'8", 11.5 stone, 29 inside leg. Paddling 40 years, slalom, white water racing, teaching. Proficient rolling and hand rolling.

I bought the stratos a week ago after a lot of research into the conundrum of speed versus play.

This week I have been surfing in 4-5' waves at Sennen cove and done a trip around Lands End in a force 4 gusting 5.

This is a great boat.

She is slow and I reckon 3.5 -4 mph is a natural speed for the hull with easy effort. But as recompense you get a real boat: an Intercity 125 goes great in a straight line and is an A-B machine. But a Mini goes round corners and delivers so much involvement for the same journey. They both get there but one does it with a smile.

I'm smiling. I got boiled in the surf break, managed to turn on the face of the wave, and became immersed and involved in this boat, which fits like a glove.

Then we set off around Lands End, one of the potentially nastiest tide/weather headlands in the south of Britain, dropped the skeg, and ploughed into a southerly 4-6 Beaufort against the tide (for an easy ride back the other way). She's narrow enough to ride confused crossing seas without tilting, made good speed through the tidal race chop, and plunged with agile willingness into narrow convoluted gaps in the rocks to take close in shortcuts.

The hatches dribbled a bit.

The footrest sliders jam with sand.

She's heavy compared with my fibreglass slalom boat.

But: what a hoot! Feels so safe, really capable in confused seas. Good tracking with the wind on the quarter and mixed swells. Skeg doesn't jam.

And then up with the skeg and into the detailed stuff, rocks and eddies and caves, bow rudders, leaned turns, draw strokes, spin her around and out again. While the rollers cap and smash into the rocks all around.

I love the dedication and enthusiasm of the mile eating long boat brigade. But for me the comprise on speed is so, so worth it. Just plan a trip that is 25% shorter, and have a boat that is more responsive to paddle stroke skills.

The Stratos is one of those.