Concept2 Forum

My club is looking to fundraise to purchase a new racing double. As we are trying to decide what brand and model we would like to buy, I thought I would see what everyone recommends. We usually race Vespolis for fours (don't have the numbers for eights, but we do practice in Vespoli eights) but we have a few Kanghua doubles (which are in need of repair) and a few wintech singles so we thought Vespoli would be best at first since we wouldn't need new parts and since the boat would feel similar to our fours/eights but then I read about Hudsons and Resolutes which are supposed to be faster and around the same price. We also need something durable. Finally we are looking for something in the "under 20k" price range.

The double would be used by high schoolers, for racing and practice, but we want a double with speed for racing purposes. We'd probably be buying from the demo list from Vespoli or if the "new price" of a new Hudson/Resolute/etc double is around the same, we could get a brand new one. Also, this would be the first new boat for the club in over ten years, so we definitely need something that will last and hold up.

Any suggestions for brand or model?

In my opinion, take it for what you will, a used but in good condition Filippi double will be faster then the other American made double, might be a hot take but... As long as you have some one with the knowhow to take care of it.

It'd probably be hard to find one but they are definitely worth it. My HS team had 3 for practice and racing and they were sturdy boats, the newest being from 2014. I raced HS in 2020-2023. European boats are usually better for sculling and American for sweeping.

If you have a choice, the D hull is fantastic for sculling boats.

You might not need one but fluid design makes a fast and on the cheaper side single.

Cheers