Contact   Imprint   Advertising   Guidelines

faster downwind: race kite or mid/low aspect

Forum for kitesurfers
coleman
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 705
Joined: Tue Oct 26, 2004 11:54 pm
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: texas
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0
Contact:

faster downwind: race kite or mid/low aspect

Postby coleman » Wed Feb 13, 2013 6:32 pm

on a broad or beam reach down wind, which kite would be faster.....

curious if the mid/low aspect kite which sits further back in the window would be better than high aspect. so for instance taking an ozone edge or dyno vs an airush lithium or wainman rabbit?

fire away

toyletbowl
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 2808
Joined: Wed Jan 08, 2003 1:00 am
Local Beach: Olbrich, Governor Nelson, Tenney, Burrows and McDaniels.
Favorite Beaches: Olbrich on SW and McDaniels on a SSW.
Sheboygan when it blows hard on a NE.
Style: Waves, Twin tip and Foilboards.
Gear: Whatever is available.
Brand Affiliation: Cabrinha, Slingshot, Core, Armstrong, Axis, NP Surf, Ride engine, Mystic. www.kiteridersllc.com
Location: Madison, Wi. USA.
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 9 times
Contact:

Re: faster downwind: race kite or mid/low aspect

Postby toyletbowl » Wed Feb 13, 2013 7:04 pm

Mid to low aspect will drift better and have much less tendency to backstall and they also tend to be faster turning kites.

Wainmans, SS Rally, Cabrinha Drifter are all kites that would drift well downwind.

Hope this helps,

Bob
www.kiteridersllc.com

User avatar
davesails7
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 2220
Joined: Sun Apr 01, 2007 7:36 pm
Kiting since: 2006
Weight: 75 kg
Local Beach: Virginia Beach
Style: Race
Gear: ML B3
R1V2 11. VMG 13, 15, 18
OR Mako 130x35
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 10 times
Been thanked: 22 times

Re: faster downwind: race kite or mid/low aspect

Postby davesails7 » Wed Feb 13, 2013 8:21 pm

On a raceboard I go faster on a race kite (dyno 18 and 10) than on my lower aspect kite (kahoonas). The high aspect kite really builds power as you go faster and faster.

You sine the kite or loop it to keep it back in the window.

ozchrisb
Frequent Poster
Posts: 289
Joined: Sat Dec 29, 2012 2:59 am
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: faster downwind: race kite or mid/low aspect

Postby ozchrisb » Wed Feb 13, 2013 9:07 pm

Race kite. Race kite go better upwind and eventually all course of sail end up upwind. Even heading downwind.....

coleman
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 705
Joined: Tue Oct 26, 2004 11:54 pm
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: texas
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0
Contact:

Re: faster downwind: race kite or mid/low aspect

Postby coleman » Wed Feb 13, 2013 9:10 pm

yes, but i am only talking about downwind reaching speed. for instance, you see some people riding the genetrix hydra in speed trials. doesnt look too high aspect to me, but its fast as hell. rob douglas is on crossbows which are high aspect though.

not sure what everyone is on in slalom courses?

stefaans
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 641
Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2007 2:49 am
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: faster downwind: race kite or mid/low aspect

Postby stefaans » Wed Feb 13, 2013 9:24 pm

kites that sit further back in the window has more resistance. Think for yourself which one will be faster.

User avatar
davesails7
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 2220
Joined: Sun Apr 01, 2007 7:36 pm
Kiting since: 2006
Weight: 75 kg
Local Beach: Virginia Beach
Style: Race
Gear: ML B3
R1V2 11. VMG 13, 15, 18
OR Mako 130x35
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 10 times
Been thanked: 22 times

Re: faster downwind: race kite or mid/low aspect

Postby davesails7 » Wed Feb 13, 2013 9:43 pm

coleman wrote:yes, but i am only talking about downwind reaching speed. for instance, you see some people riding the genetrix hydra in speed trials. doesnt look too high aspect to me, but its fast as hell. rob douglas is on crossbows which are high aspect though.

not sure what everyone is on in slalom courses?
I think ozchris was saying that in lighter wind, when you are riding downwind at 2 or 3 times the wind speed, the apparent wind shifts around and everything is semi-upwind. Much different than drifting the kite on slack lines while surfing a wave.

User avatar
tautologies
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 10864
Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2004 5:36 am
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: Oahu
Has thanked: 100 times
Been thanked: 156 times
Contact:

Re: faster downwind: race kite or mid/low aspect

Postby tautologies » Wed Feb 13, 2013 10:25 pm

davesails7 wrote:
I think ozchris was saying that in lighter wind, when you are riding downwind at 2 or 3 times the wind speed, the apparent wind shifts around and everything is semi-upwind. Much different than drifting the kite on slack lines while surfing a wave.
yes exactly. I was wondering why on earth anyone wanted drift on a racekite. drift is useful if you disengage the kite and slack the lines, that is NEVER the goal when you race..quite the opposite.

I can see grunt, but that is a whole different parameter again.

ozchrisb
Frequent Poster
Posts: 289
Joined: Sat Dec 29, 2012 2:59 am
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: faster downwind: race kite or mid/low aspect

Postby ozchrisb » Wed Feb 13, 2013 11:48 pm

coleman wrote:yes, but i am only talking about downwind reaching speed. for instance, you see some people riding the genetrix hydra in speed trials. doesnt look too high aspect to me, but its fast as hell. rob douglas is on crossbows which are high aspect though.

not sure what everyone is on in slalom courses?
Even if you don't go faster than the wind the apparent wind will still be at a higher angle than "downwind" so the more efficient kite will win (everything else being equal). If this wasn't the case the speed record woud be held by a NASA wing. I guess the only exception to this is if you really truly do want to go absolutely dead downwind in really high wind, say 50 knots. Then a parachute would be best. Any "off" wind wind course will be fast the higher the L/D of the kite.

coleman
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 705
Joined: Tue Oct 26, 2004 11:54 pm
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: texas
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0
Contact:

Re: faster downwind: race kite or mid/low aspect

Postby coleman » Thu Feb 14, 2013 12:07 am

ozchrisb wrote:
coleman wrote:yes, but i am only talking about downwind reaching speed. for instance, you see some people riding the genetrix hydra in speed trials. doesnt look too high aspect to me, but its fast as hell. rob douglas is on crossbows which are high aspect though.

not sure what everyone is on in slalom courses?
Even if you don't go faster than the wind the apparent wind will still be at a higher angle than "downwind" so the more efficient kite will win (everything else being equal). If this wasn't the case the speed record woud be held by a NASA wing. I guess the only exception to this is if you really truly do want to go absolutely dead downwind in really high wind, say 50 knots. Then a parachute would be best. Any "off" wind wind course will be fast the higher the L/D of the kite.
i see. thanks for the explanation. that makes alot of sense. :thumb:


Return to “Kitesurfing”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Aleza, Bing [Bot], bragnouff, Chriz76, Dirk, duddd, evan, funalex, Google [Bot], ham-er, KVL, Pepijn, peppedurso, rStorms, suisd12, tilmann, Yahoo [Bot] and 650 guests