I'm finishing my second build, a Shearwater 17 Hybrid, and now that I'm addicted to building, I'm already considering my next project. I have decided on a full-stripper, but can't decide on which. I really like my Shearwaters, especially the tracking, but the only "B minus" is that the narrow stern seems to get "grabbed" by a quartering tailwind. I'd like to build something close to a SW. I've tried the Night Heron, but found it a tad slower than the SW, and I think that I am "just big enough" at 5'8", 150 lbs, for it.

The next candidate is the Petrel. Most reviews tout its rough water performance, but how well does it TRACK? Comments from Petrel paddlers appreciated.