Marathon Racing C-1 Canoes - Standardized Designs
Organized competition among one-person canoes (C-1) began its modern history in the mid-1970s. In order to standardize competitive designs, measurements were transferred directly from two-person canoes or C-2s to the new one-person or C-1 competition classes. These specifications called for both C-1 and C-2 boats to measure 32” wide at the 4” waterline - better known as the “4 by 32” rule. Over time, as competitive canoeing became more popular, boat designers and builders began developing more efficient C-1 canoes, but were constrained by the 4 by 32 specification. This resulted in the designs we see today with narrow bows and wide wings at the midpoint of the canoe, a compromise between the most efficient design possible and the specifications adopted decades earlier.
