Which kites for Racing

[Ivel]

hmm..... single line safety?
have you guys ever heard of a 5th line?
single point flagging
not to mention superior upwind ability when you sheet your 5th in

[AndrewJMcGee]

Of course!! Isnt the 5th line safty still only on one line???? You are not getting what I am saying. Unless modified the 08 cult has a kooky safty system. You attach to the depower rope, and it shortens both front lines when you pull QR. It does not completely kill the kite. The kite was still on its leading edge down in the water. NO CHANCE THAT SYSTEM IS AS SAFE, AS FLAGGING ON A FRONT LINE OR A 5TH.

[kitezilla]

Another question I have about racing kites, has to do with the placement of numbers for identification.

It seems that sailboats, iceboats and other types of racing entities have ID numbers and letters on their sails and hulls. So, with 40 or 50 kiters racing in a pack, won't there be a need for identification on the kites, for the purpose of resolving disputes and fouls? I don't think that contestants and judges will be able to adequately read the little numbers on the kiter's jersey, in order to pass fair judgment on disputed incidents.

It seems like racing kites would have to have a large area of a solid color (white, being optimal) on which to glue or paint the ID numbers.

Some of the designs on manufactured kites are so busy and loud, that they would obscure the numbers. So, this may be a factor in racing kite selection.

Not a big deal, at present, where everyone of the small group of kiters, who race, kind of know everyone else...but if kite racing takes off, then, it seems like a kite identification rule would have to be created by the governing body of the sport.

I may claim the ID number "1111" to go on my pink kites, unless, of course, there is someone else out there who thinks they have more of a right to that... but what are the chances of that?!!

[gbleck]

IKA class rules specify
F.1.1 SAFETY SYSTEMS
Mandatory:
(a) a depowering device.
F.2 BAR
F.2.1 SAFETY SYSTEMS
Mandatory:
(a) a quick-release system.
The sail number is a bit confusing
C.8.1 IDENTIFICATION
Sail Numbers shall comply with appendix XXX of the RRS except otherwise stated in these Class rules.
The RRS for kites specifies on page 62
G1.1 yada yada yada sail numbers on lycras front back and sleeves. Nothing about the kite. Don't think it's going to be an issue. Hell they had enough of a cluster f*** putting the look of the games stickers on the Bejing games sails. I just don't see it being an issue. If sail numbers are required I would imagine they would be provided by the race commity and would have an opaque background with black text on a white background or something like that.