Tamas Fekete ᱨᱮᱱᱟᱜ Subkayak D46 ᱫᱟᱹᱲ ᱟᱨ ᱨᱟᱹᱥᱠᱟᱹ ᱫᱟᱬᱟ ᱠᱟᱭᱟᱠ

Tamas Fekete ᱨᱮᱱᱟᱜ Subkayak D46 ᱫᱟᱹᱲ ᱟᱨ ᱨᱟᱹᱥᱠᱟᱹ ᱫᱟᱬᱟ ᱠᱟᱭᱟᱠ ᱫᱚ ᱠᱷᱮᱞ ᱥᱟᱢᱟᱱ ᱯᱨᱚᱛᱤᱡᱚᱜᱤᱛᱟ ᱵᱷᱟᱜ ᱨᱮ 2025 A' Design Award ᱥᱳᱱᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ ᱨᱮᱱᱟᱜ ᱟᱹᱰᱤ ᱢᱟᱱ ᱟᱠᱟᱱ ᱡᱤᱛᱠᱟᱨ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾

ᱥᱳᱱᱟᱠᱷᱮᱞ ᱥᱟᱢᱟᱱ· 2025

Subkayak D46 ᱫᱟᱹᱲ ᱟᱨ ᱨᱟᱹᱥᱠᱟᱹ ᱫᱟᱬᱟ ᱠᱟᱭᱟᱠ

Tamas Fekete ᱞᱮᱠᱟᱛᱮ

ᱜᱟᱦᱟᱠ: Openend Design Ltd.

ᱠᱷᱮᱞ ᱥᱟᱢᱟᱱ ᱵᱷᱟᱜ ᱨᱮ A' Design Award ᱥᱳᱱᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ ᱡᱤᱛᱠᱟᱨ

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#159011 ᱞᱟᱜᱤᱫ ᱮᱣᱟᱨᱰ ᱦᱟᱞᱚᱛ ᱡᱟᱸᱪ

ᱥᱟᱭᱤᱴ ᱧᱮᱞ ᱢᱮ A' Design Award ᱨᱮ ᱧᱮᱞ ᱢᱮ ᱯᱨᱮᱥ ᱨᱤᱞᱤᱡ ᱯᱩᱨᱥᱠᱟᱨ ᱵᱮᱡ

ᱨᱚᱝ

ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ

Subkayak D46 ᱫᱟᱹᱲ ᱟᱨ ᱨᱟᱹᱥᱠᱟᱹ ᱫᱟᱬᱟ ᱠᱟᱭᱟᱠ ᱵᱟᱵᱚᱛ ᱛᱮ

ᱥᱟᱵᱽᱠᱟᱭᱟᱠ D46 ᱫᱚ ᱫᱟᱬᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱫᱟᱹᱲ ᱵᱟᱱᱟᱨ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱛᱮᱭᱟᱨ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ, ᱚᱠᱟ ᱨᱮ ᱠᱟᱹᱢᱤ ᱫᱟᱲᱮ ᱟᱨ ᱥᱩᱱᱫᱚᱨᱛᱟ ᱪᱮᱛᱟᱱ ᱨᱮ ᱫᱷᱮᱭᱟᱱ ᱮᱢ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱨᱮᱱᱟᱜ ᱧᱮᱞ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱨᱮ ᱵᱟᱨᱭᱟ ᱵᱷᱮᱜᱟᱨ ᱦᱟᱹᱴᱤᱧ ᱨᱮ ᱚᱯᱴᱤᱠᱟᱞ ᱵᱷᱮᱜᱟᱨ ᱢᱮᱱᱟᱜᱼᱟ, ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱸ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱪᱤᱱᱦᱟᱹᱣ ᱨᱩᱯ ᱮ ᱮᱢᱟ᱾ ᱠᱟᱭᱟᱠ ᱨᱮ 3D ᱯᱨᱤᱸᱴᱮᱰ ᱡᱤᱱᱤᱥ ᱠᱚ ᱵᱮᱵᱷᱟᱨ ᱠᱟᱛᱮ ᱟᱭᱢᱟ ᱞᱮᱠᱟᱱ ᱠᱚᱥᱴᱚᱢᱟᱭᱤᱡᱮᱥᱚᱱ ᱠᱚ ᱥᱚᱦᱚᱫ ᱮᱢᱟ᱾ ᱨᱟᱰᱟᱨ ᱦᱮᱪ ᱠᱚᱵᱷᱟᱨ ᱟᱨ ᱯᱷᱽᱞᱟᱜᱽ ᱫᱚᱦᱚ ᱞᱮᱠᱟᱱ ᱡᱤᱱᱤᱥ ᱠᱚ ᱚᱨᱰᱟᱨ ᱞᱮᱠᱟᱛᱮ ᱛᱮᱭᱟᱨ ᱫᱟᱲᱮᱭᱟᱜᱼᱟ, ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱸ ᱨᱮ ᱨᱩᱯ, ᱨᱚᱝ ᱟᱨᱵᱟᱝ ᱵᱽᱨᱟᱸᱰᱤᱝ ᱨᱮ ᱵᱚᱫᱚᱞ ᱦᱩᱭ ᱫᱟᱲᱮᱭᱟᱜᱼᱟ᱾ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱦᱚᱨ ᱵᱮᱵᱷᱟᱨᱤᱭᱟᱹ ᱠᱚ ᱟᱠᱚᱣᱟᱜ ᱠᱟᱭᱟᱠ ᱫᱚ ᱟᱡᱟᱜ ᱠᱩᱥᱤ ᱞᱮᱠᱟᱛᱮ ᱱᱤᱡᱚᱨᱟᱜ ᱵᱮᱱᱟᱣ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱥᱚᱦᱚᱫ ᱮᱢᱟ, ᱟᱨ ᱥᱟᱶᱛᱮ ᱡᱚᱛᱚ ᱠᱟᱹᱢᱤ ᱫᱟᱲᱮ ᱟᱨ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱫᱚ ᱫᱚᱦᱚ ᱫᱚᱦᱚ ᱛᱟᱦᱮᱸᱱᱟ᱾

ᱢᱟᱱᱟᱱ

A' Design Award ᱥᱳᱱᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ ᱵᱟᱵᱚᱛ ᱛᱮ

Subkayak D46 ᱫᱟᱹᱲ ᱟᱨ ᱨᱟᱹᱥᱠᱟᱹ ᱫᱟᱬᱟ ᱠᱟᱭᱟᱠ ᱫᱚ A' Design Award ᱥᱳᱱᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ ᱧᱟᱢ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ, ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱛᱮ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱟᱨ ᱥᱩᱱᱫᱚᱨ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱠᱚ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱮᱢ ᱟᱠᱟᱱ ᱥᱚᱢᱟᱱ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱠᱚ ᱫᱚ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱᱟᱨ ᱠᱚ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱵᱷᱟᱵᱱᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱠᱟᱢᱤ ᱡᱷᱟᱞᱠᱟᱣ ᱠᱚ᱾ Subkayak D46 ᱫᱟᱹᱲ ᱟᱨ ᱨᱟᱹᱥᱠᱟᱹ ᱫᱟᱬᱟ ᱠᱟᱭᱟᱠ ᱫᱚ ᱠᱚᱞᱟ, ᱣᱤᱜᱭᱟᱱ, ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱟᱨ ᱴᱮᱠᱱᱚᱞᱚᱡᱤ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱥᱤᱢᱟ ᱵᱟᱲᱦᱟᱣ ᱟᱨ ᱫᱩᱱᱤᱭᱟ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱜᱚᱲᱚ ᱮᱢ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾

ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱯᱤᱪᱷᱟ ᱨᱮ

ᱯᱨᱮᱥ ᱠᱤᱴ

ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱᱟᱨ ᱧᱮᱞ ᱠᱷᱚᱱ ᱠᱨᱮᱰᱤᱴ, ᱴᱤᱢ ᱥᱫᱚᱥᱭ ᱟᱨ ᱴᱮᱠᱱᱤᱠᱮᱞ ᱵᱤᱵᱚᱨᱚᱬ ᱮᱢ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾

ᱟᱞᱜᱟ ᱜᱩᱱ ᱠᱚ: The D46 kayak offerst a two-section design offering enhanced customization options despite being made of a single composite material. Additionally, it incorporates 3D printed components, such as a rudder hatch cover and flag holder, which can be customized according to the buyer's preferences, including logos and a choice of colors. These parts are made-to-order and provide a level of personalization for the owners to express their style while maintaining the functionality of the kayak.
ᱢᱟᱯ ᱟᱨ ᱯᱮᱠᱮᱡᱤᱝ: 5200 mm x 460 mm x 310 mm

Crafted using vacuum infusion that ensures even resin distribution.
Incorporates foam, fiberglass or carbon fiber, and epoxy-vinylester, balancing durability with light weight.
Customization option from simple color selections to complex paint jobs. Customizable 3D printed components (race number holder, rudder hatch cover), available in any colors and with debossed graphics.

3D Printed parts:
SLS 3D Print: Nylon PA12, Dyed black
MJF 3D Print: Nylon PA12, Any color
ᱴᱮᱜ ᱠᱚ: Kayak Design, Racing Kayak, Leisure Kayak, Touring Kayak, 3D Printing, Watercraft, Boat Design, Watersport, Carbon Fiber, Speed
ᱛᱮᱭᱟᱨ ᱛᱮᱠᱱᱚᱞᱚᱡᱤ: Starting with 3D scanning and reverse engineering one of Subkayak's hand-built kayak for millimeter-precise hull replication to match its hydrodynamic performance. Further development included mood boards, concept sketches, renders and numerous small-scale 3D printed draft prototypes before making the final CAD file with G3 surface continuity for a sculpted aesthetic. CNC machining of a full-size foam model followed, forming the foundation to create the master moulds to manufacture the D46.
ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱱ ᱪᱮᱞᱮᱧ: The main challenge was translating a physical kayak's precise hydrodynamics into a digital format with millimeter accuracy, essential for competition eligibility and performance. Using 3D scanning for the complex hull surface and integrating the new design features within strict size regulations required precise A-class surface modeling. The project's success depended on a single 1:1 scale CNC-d foam prototype emphasising the need for precise CAD deliverable to achieve a hand-sculpted look.
ᱜᱚᱵᱮᱥᱚᱱᱟ: Our research included surveys to understand amateur and professional kayak users' preferences in design aesthetics, customization, and cockpit ergonomics. Engaging with kayakers through both direct and online methods, we gathered insights via open-ended questions. Findings reveal a strong desire for customization options to express personal style and the need for a wider cockpit for better fit.
ᱯᱨᱮᱨᱚᱱᱟ: The design of the D46 kayak was inspired by the complex surface and material transitions seen in racing boats and sports cars. The aim was to visually break away from the uniformity aesthetics of single-piece kayaks by using form and color to split the kayak into two distinct sections.
ᱯᱨᱚᱡᱮᱠᱴ ᱥᱚᱢᱚᱭ: The project started in March 2022 in Budapest and finished in January 2023 in Budapest. Since then It was exhibited in Budapest in the Hungarian Design Awards in October 2023.
ᱠᱟᱹᱢᱤ ᱦᱚᱨ: The kayak, being lightweight, is easily carried to the water and placed in. The user then sits in the cockpit, securing their feet on footrests and grasping the paddle with both hands. Propulsion is achieved through alternating paddle strokes on each side, while steering is managed by foot pedals controlling the rudder. This setup enables precise navigation and efficient gliding through the water, allowing for a smooth and responsive kayaking experience.
ᱯᱮᱴᱮᱱᱴ ᱠᱚ: Copyright Subkayak Composites, 2025
ᱴᱤᱢ ᱥᱮᱫᱟᱭ ᱠᱚ: Tamás Fekete
ᱪᱤᱛᱟᱹᱨ ᱥᱟᱹᱦᱟ: Image Credits: Tamás Fekete