Kiteboat Project

We took the Kitefoiler out again today to practice launching with the carbon mast. Joe added extensions to the mast earlier this week to accommodate a larger kite, and this time he, Don and Dudu used a brand new 25 sqm kite, instead of the 20 sqm one. The new kite is similar to the old 25 sqm high-aspect-ratio kite that we’ve been using with such success on the Trifoiler and Kitefoiler. The new kite, however, has some improvements, including a larger diameter strut base and a trailing edge canopy made of Dacron instead of the old, softer material.

During the test, we had trouble on the first couple of launches with an exposed bolt on the top of the mast puncturing the kite. We returned to dock to file the bolt and cover it in protective foam. Back on the water, we successfully launched the kite, but again had trouble converting the launching position to a flying position. This was due in part to the line length–we were using 80m lines, which makes it more difficult to control the kite, particularly when learning a new process. We will shorten the lines again before the next test. Additionally, the diameter of the front lines was greater than the diameter of the back lines, so the depowering was uneven as the lines spooled around the winch, and Don had limited room to compensate. Finally, the wind died, preventing us from making further adjustments.

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