Strutless kite in development on Maui

turfAndsurf · **Posted:** Mon Mar 04, 2013 8:00 pm

Yes it goes upwind well, even a couple of times when the wind dropped everyone else was walking upwind while I was still riding and going upwind, keep in mind, I was using a floaty 6' surfboard and some of the other riders were on 12 and 14.

windfreak74 · **Joined:** Tue Mar 23, 2010 1:16 am **Posts:** 95

Can someone on cloud 17m please drop to earth and comment on the highend of the kite?

Still no comment on how the kite builds power is it by sinning(apparent wind) or shear grunt?
how are the jumps like jerky or smooth ?
how about the the glide?
pedro

turfAndsurf · **Posted:** Sat Mar 09, 2013 1:32 am

In term of the high end, it handle gust up to 20 on the outside, I didn't get pulled or anything like that but I definitely felt overpower at that point, keep in mind I weight about 182 and I was on a floaty board. In terms of building power, on the low wind all I had to do was sign a couple of time and then for the most part I just parked it. Didn't get a chance to jump, I was on strapless and more interested in riding the waves.

rowboat · **Joined:** Fri Sep 09, 2011 4:28 am **Posts:** 21

I wasn't able to check the line length, just trying it and flying it

You're right that it was gusty; the 10m felt right at some times but ran away from me in the gusts.

BWD wrote:

Did you really get the lines even?
All equal length laid out straight with bar pulled in?
I would say, if the canopy did not flutter when you fully sheeted out, you weren't really sheeted out!
But also, it was pretty windy: from recorded winds yesterday there were gusts to around 20kt on the bay, 30 offshore.
That would be a lot, especially if you were on a surfboard, or weigh less than 180lbs or so.

rowboat · **Joined:** Fri Sep 09, 2011 4:28 am **Posts:** 21

Hey thanks Blake. I rigged my 8m Cloud yesterday for the first time, and tried your suggestion of removing the pigtails and tying a knot , but upon flying the kite it was apparent right away that the front lines were too short. So I took the knots out of the bridle, put the pigtails back on the center lines, attached there at the second (shorter) knot, and attached the back lines. The kite seemed to fly pretty well in that config, with some adjustment to the trim line.

Then I went for a Crissy / GG Bridge upwind run and was totally blown off the water up by the bridge in ~30kt wind. There's something about the sound of a depowered sail fluttering in high wind that incites fear. I had to depower the kite so much that it wasn't turning very well. I rode back downwind to the beach and put up a 6m OR Razor, which was much better suited to the wind strength.

Blake wrote:

Rowboat

I use my CLOUDS with my OR bars as well. First thing, remove the rearline pigtail from the OR lines and stash them away. Then on the front attachment point on the kite bridle(sliders) just tie a knot in the pigtail and attach your front lines there. Then double check your lines like BWD mentioned. Your kite should fly fine in this configuration.

tautologies · **Posted:** Sun Mar 10, 2013 10:34 am

I had a go on my today. Great fun. This will be a great wave kite for me. I'm excited. It does fly off the front lines. Ill rig it so I'm just oversheeted when fully pulled in. Perfect for sideoff.

Fast light feel to kite.

longwhitecloud · **Joined:** Fri Sep 11, 2009 3:15 am **Posts:** 1032

it for sure seems to have some advantages
cheaper to produce
lighter
more compact to travel with
some kind of midway between a c quad and a high tech LEI kite

The tension in the trailing edge could be the answer....

well if it takes off, one season maybe before many others get a lightbulb in their head and do a similar kite in their range - i can see the race kite designers doodling already....

awesome, good luck to ya

Kamikuza · **Posted:** Sun Mar 10, 2013 11:57 am

longwhitecloud wrote:

it for sure seems to have some advantages
cheaper to produce
lighter
more compact to travel with

Exactly how Naish is marketing the trip

tautologies · **Posted:** Sun Mar 10, 2013 12:31 pm

Kamikuza wrote:

longwhitecloud wrote:

it for sure seems to have some advantages
cheaper to produce
lighter
more compact to travel with

Exactly how Naish is marketing the trip

It makes sense. It is incredibly light.

sarc · **Joined:** Sun Jun 11, 2006 4:01 am **Posts:** 526

FINALLY, A ONE PUMP IDEA I LIKE!!!

Strutless kite in development on Maui

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