Kite Tests on Land and Water

K2 Test – July 19

7/19/16
Foiling under the Bay Bridge

We launched the kite around 2:15 pm at our usual spot northeast of Treasure Island, in about 17 knots of wind. The wind speed steadily increased as we made our way toward the city in choppy water. The boat did very well upwind—angles close to 40 degrees at speeds close to 28 knots, with 3 crew. Visitor David Fu joined the kiteboat crew, and we foiled under the Bay Bridge between Yerba Buena and SF.

Conditions on the other side of the bridge were completely different—high winds visible toward Candlestick Point, but only around 10 knots near Alameda and behind the city. We dropped the kite and Don’s children, Nalani and Max, joined the kiteboat crew. Around 3:40 pm we relaunched in a […more]

K2 Test – Jan 17

1/17/13

Today was a beautiful day to test our wind sensor, Paul Larkin’s headsets, and our new GoPro Hero3 cameras. We also performed a brief kite test using the new 18 sqm kite. Paul’s friend John Bond joined us on this test.

First, we compared our primary wind sensor, an ultrasonic model, to a standard cup-and-vane sensor. In the past, we have seen suspicious readings in true wind speed and direction that we attributed to compass miscalibration or poor alignment of the sensor with the boat. In the last test, however, we collected data that showed that any compass or alignment errors that exist are far smaller than the discrepancies that we have seen. This data indicates that the basic apparent […more]

K2 Test – Jan 14

1/14/13

Today we took K2 out for the first test of the year. We had hoped to test a new 18 sqm kite, but the wind was low, and we were not able to complete launching. This kite has a drastically different planform from our other kites. The trailing edge is shorter than the leading edge, which gives it more of a conical shape and means that the kite will always be more powered up. This kite also has much skinnier struts that more rapidly taper than those on our other kites. The kite struts are reinforced so they can be inflated to 10 psi (instead of 4-5 psi); we hope that this increased rigidity will offset the narrower diameter. This […more]

K2 Tow Test & Kite Test – Jul 18

7/19/12

We took K2 out this evening for a tow test. We towed the boat in circles in the protected area by the big ships, and stopped every so often to adjust the foils and tow again. We are playing with different pivot point locations. After towing, we also briefly tried the boat with a kite, making a few more adjustments. The wind was very light, so we did not foil while using the kite.

Feb 9 – Lone Ranger Update

2/9/12

The team hard at work with the sediment trap, and a beautiful icebow. Plus, check out that high altitude shot.