To the question asked initially -- Hudson and traditional Van Dusen, I'm probably the right person. After rowing a traditional VD for about 20 years, with a few short-lived indiscretions with other hulls, I kind of impulsively moved to a new Hudson this year. My conclusions are that people spend too much time talking about "differences" between boats. I think tippiness is a function of how well the boat fits a rower -- too light and it will tip side to side; too heavy and it's just a steady, heavy bathtub. That being said, there's nothing more difficult to row in a crosswind than a traditional VD. In terms of ergonomics, the Hudson wins hands down. More adjustments, wider feet, better footstretcher. Not even close. And the Hudson is a lot better for long steady-state miles. But who cares about that stuff if one boat really is inherently faster than another. On that, here's what I've discovered: when I row it well, the Hudson is scorching fast and when I row it poorly it feels like everything else. And the VD is the exact same. It's how you row, not what you row.
