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I wonder to know what do you think about restricting amount of kites for a competition.
Is good or bad for kite racing future?

This year we may use max 3 kites in any event.

I think it's fair, infuse with a 17 a 13 and 10 will cover a range from 6 to 25 knots .. we say that is a good compromise between cost and performance .. certainly we all know that to cover a range of wind 5 to 35 knots it would take 5-6 kites to be performing in all conditions ..

Kito

BraCuru wrote:I wonder to know what do you think about restricting amount of kites for a competition.
Is good or bad for kite racing future?

This year we may use max 3 kites in any event.

It is an unsafe rule, taking part to many races, now or later you'll be racing in a 30 knots condition and be sure that the race direction will not stop races.
As 30 knots are not frequent the main part of the racers will register only big kites (19-15-12) and you'll be compelled to go out fully overpowered.
In multi days event or places where the wind may vary a lot this problem is more evident.
After last year world championship in Sylt this problem was clear to most of the main racers but during the IKA reunion in Athens for only one vote passed the 3 sail rule despite of a clear indication for 4 or more sail from the athlets.
Last week-end in Italy we had the first event of our national championship, we had a 28-30 knots race and almost all the riders were overpowered as the smallest sail we registered was an 11, many rescue were done ad someone abadoned after the first race for safety reasons.
The day after we had no wind anche made an athlets meeting taking the decision to always allow the use of a "safety sail" under 10 meters, out of the 3 registered, when there is more than 20 knots.
I've heard that also in Spain and Nederland has been made an axception to the 3 sail rule and in France athlets are asking for 5 sails so try to change this rule in your country and ask your representative to vote for a change in the next IKA meeting.
Next world championship will be held in Italy (Cagliari) it is a place where the wind may vary from 6 to 40 knots off-shore (maestrale) so a new IKA rule before that event will be very important for safety.
Many decisions are taken by people that don't really race, the economic motivation for the 3 sails is ridicoulus, everyone that really does kite has a small sail for wave riding, this is not a further expense and with only 3 sail you can't cover the range 6-35 knots unless you regsiter a 19-12-8 quiver but you'll have big holes expecially between 19 and 12 that is the most frequent wind range

4 kites, 9,11,13,17 or 18m will suffice at most venues (7-13m on Maui !).
Blaszko wished he had entered his 15m and
Erika Heineken tried 9,13, 15 or 17m at the Playa del Carmen PKRA event and needed her 11m all day one day and their results were compromised.
Most of the top racers are in agreement with 4 kites.
AA

Agree with most of your statement, but there has to be also a logical windspeed limit for a raceevent - in KTE 2011 it was 25 knots... I think its logical. I also would like to see someone "racing" in 35-40 knots on the one and only (biggest!) registred board!

I think most riders will buy all sizes anyways, then register according to the venue/forecast. So there isn't much cost savings in going with just 3.

4 makes sense.
9/11/13/17 for big guys or light wind.
7/9/13/15 for a light person or high wind.

plenty of other combos that make sense, but 3 is too limiting for a proper spread in a quiver.

maybe having 4 will push kite manufacturers to develop sizing more appropriately.
(ie. offering something like 8/11/14/18 would be awesome). I understand that part of the motivation for 3 kites was to push brands to develop more range in to the kites, but I doubt this is truly possible with only 3 sizes... at least with today's tech.

ok, but then it would also 3 boards such as PWA (windsurfing) .. 3 surely kite can at most be good in terms of up to 25 knts .. or limit the maximum wind for racing, or be supplemented by a kite ..

What a stupid dangerous rule.

that sounds weird to me.

In general the kites I use in Kailua is 15 and 13 for my raceboard, but when I was on Maui the winds were reaching 40 mph...I was so lit on my 9 that it was hard to keep my feet on the board. Most people got pulled off their board at least once in the race.

In general if I were racing more I would also get all the kites, and then pick the ones I needed for the venue...or does it mean the sizes through the whole season?

Oh well, so how is it Alex A. Are you gearing up for the Maui races again? I've been out at least a few times the past months....trying to set a goal here...but then I am hearing that people might show up from the mainland this year...I am royally screwed.

All points noted but I miss one thing. Why manufactures restrict the wind range of their kites?
I used to have 2 bow kites in my quiver from 2005 till 2009 and it worked perfectly fine for me: 7 and 10m in winds 12-40kts. Obviously I would need one more large size to be able ride in sub 10kts winds. It makes all together three pieces.
Remember that Crossbow was produced only in 3-4 sizes on the beginning?
Now there are 9 different Crossbows registered for racing.
And whatever is said here there is no way to compare the wind range of CB 9m of 2012 to the CB 9m from 2006-2007. Would you agree?

Why we do not press manufactures to return to their roofs?
It is easy to blame rules but in my mind the problem is not the rules but manufactures.
Why racing companies like North, Cab, RRD do not produce a dedicated racing bar. Instead they provide expensive racing kites with rather useless freeride bars. There is even no option to choose: freeride or racing bar. Most of riders competeing need to rebuilt a bar themselves.

Adopting a bar for racing add a LOT of upper range. In case of CB16m I would say it's max 10kts.
I can easily ride and compete with CB16m in 20kts. And survive gusts up to 30kts.
From original Cabrinha control systems for 3 kites I have only bars remaining. All other parts are not original (including lines). Interesting thing that my set up enable to use IDS without 5th line

I know that 3 kites quiver is going to be a hot topic this season. I am not sure if I am right or wrong. Just want to share my experience and indicate a real problem (manufactures).