I watch Triak development for 15(?) years, probably more. It had foiled floats originally. I see design flaw there - it is rear position of floats. Basically, in any serious seas it should behave very much like a tricycle, always ready to flip over or put the driver all the way underwater. I think it can be very uncomfortable boat to float 1200 miles nonstop. It would be nice if somebody prove me wrong. Watertribe events have always been test for serious expedition crafts. We didn't see Triyak there yet. I wonder why.

Talking about catamaran for the challenge.

I wouldn't worry about portage (40 miles flat hardtop) as much as about last 30 miles of upper St.Marys river.
I skipped this section of the river by doing longer portage in 2010. However this rule's loophole is closed. Upper 30 miles of St.Mary will be back breaker - constant current, in some stretches it is over 2 knots, and deadwood lying across the river. I have no strategy for the river myself yet. Catamaran will be too wide. Either someone need to collapse it into narrower platform and figure out reliable propulsion system for both narrow and wide boat. Or take the wide boat and be ready to cut(sew) the way through. I think I'll go with the second option.

I did curry a bike this year. However, I don't think I'll take it for the next challenge. Walking the boat proved to be easy, albeit slow. An extra 20 lbs of bike and trailer can be deal breaker in upper St.Marys. I don't know yet, some testing needed.
Anything over 300 lbs total weight is too much for one person, in my opinion. I'd aim at 200 lbs for the boat max.

If I've had unlimited resources, I'd go for hard shell boat, not inflatable

I'm heavy guy so A-cat is out of question for me.

F-16 looks like a good pretender. I'd make it a bit narrower, 7 ft max, and put some wings on it.

Or I'd take Hobie Wave and build light weight 15 ft long hulls for it and Hooter and be happy.:)

But I'm poor and broke, so I'll use inflatable cat again
Probably, I'll get better faster new boat from Russia, or been as lazy as I am just take my old boat around Florida again.

It seems like we will have some very strong competition in 2012. There are some very strong paddlers going to sign up and I foresee that best paddling time will move to 16-17 days (It is 19 days now)
Will Randy Smyth be faster? I'm pretty sure he will, however I don't expect anyone finishing in less than 15 days so it will be very close race.
And, beside Randy we may have strong sailors there too, I hope

CrazyRussian out