Another great test today. T-foil position adjustment was successful, and boat performance was excellent with 18 sqm kite. We initially tried to kite off Alameda Point, but the wind there was too low to foil reliably, so we packed up the kite and towed to Treasure Island, where the wind was better, and we hit a top speed of 28 knots near the San Francisco waterfront.
After the successful tow tests this morning, we took the boat out again for a test with the 18 sqm red kite. Boat performance was good, and we hit a top speed of 30 knots off Alameda Point. The T-foil position was set so it was slightly biased toward more positive angles of attack, so tomorrow we will move its attachment point to shift the angle of attack range to a better position. Jerry Shalhoob, Earle Alldredge, and Nico Rousselon joined us again for this test.
The new electronics for the foil actuators are now boxed and ready for installation. This design is a major advancement, in that we can now measure and record the foil offsets. The controller can also receive commands from the boat network, which opens the door to multiple control inputs, and eventually assisted or fully-autonomous foil control.
Our first test since the move! We took K2 out today using our new boat launch equipment–Joe’s truck and the boom truck. We launched the kite off Alameda Point and kited within sight of the beach before heading through the gap to practice maneuvering in the protected area by the USS Hornet. We practiced foiling jibes and crew transfers (with Jason driving the Protector for the first time). We also rotated crew on the kiteboat several times so that Don, Joe, Greg, and Don’s friend Phil each spent time on both the kiteboat and the Protector. Greg’s brother Ben also joined us on this test.
Michael Specter”s profile of Don has been published in the May 20 edition of the New Yorker. It is now available with a password, and it will be in print next week.
Today photographer Corey Arnold joined us to photograph Don and the kiteboat. His images will accompany Michael Spector’s article in the New Yorker. Corey and Don spent the morning at Makani, and then we headed out on a boat test with the 18 sqm kite. Erika joined us on this test as well.
