Theorectically, it probably does.
Posted by: abc on Dec-23-12 4:12 PM (EST)
"If a person fits a boat height wise, and the cockpit is padded to fit correctly, does lighter weight in a higher "
Theorectically, it probably does.
After all, a boat is designed for optimal performance when in the water a certain depth with certain waterline length. So drastical deviation from that "ideal" would eventually affect the performance.
In practice, that performance degradation is probably relatively minor compare to other factors that are definitely more significant. As mentioned by others: windage, stability etc.
In reality, "a paddler fits a boat height wise" but significantly lighter than designed would be a very tall and skinny paddler... :D