Definitely a better Second Task than in canon, and certainly a more enjoyable one for the spectators (an hour staring at a lake is fun?). I do suspect that Malfoy is going to find -this- Harry Potter a much more difficult person to deal with and "do unto"; between the experience and power factors, methinks the last of the Malfoys is going to be exceedingly lucky to survive, let alone survive in good health.
And I will agree with you, paddling a canoe takes some getting used to, but once you know what you're doing, it's way faster than a rowboat (says he who earned a canoeing merit badge in Boy Scouts something over 40 years ago and still enjoys going out on a canoe when the opportunity presents itself).