ace wrote:
I was following behind this guy about 10 ft for entire race. It took
quite a bit of effort to steer to stay behind him. I tried hard to get
closer but for some reason I couldnt. I guess I could have got behind
someone going slower.

I was in a short adventure race this weekend . There was 4kms of sea
kayaking. I ended up in a soltice gts. The rudder was stuck down so I
had to use rudder. The cockpit was small and i could not move my legs.
My feet were on the pedals but just kind of resting on the pedals. When
I paddle with my small kayak with fixed rudders , I really shove my
feet hard down on pedals.

At 10 feet, you were probably sitting on the uphill side of the wave.
In order to effectively draft, you either need to be a little further
back, or a lot further forward. Depending on the actual speed, and the
boats involved, you will usually find you are running into the guy's
rudder unless you slide just a little to the side (which works fine as a
rule). At 1/2 wavelength, you'll be paddling uphill, and actually
working harder than paddling by yourself. A lot of it is just plain
feel and experience, but if you practice riding with another boat,
you'll find it gets easier as time goes on.

The GTS is a tough boat to fit in if you've got big feet or big legs.
That keyhole makes it a little tough. But - you just need to adjust
your technique a bit so that your feet are both pushing against the
pedals and more flexing than actually moving. Tough, I know, but it can
be done. Also, you might try paddling without shoes - just socks. I
know - the beach is a little cold, but you may find you get better fit
under the deck that way. It only takes a few seconds to slip running
shoes or cycling shoes on at the end, but running shoe heels really
cramp your feet in a lot of boats.

Marsh