Elf Joker 6 9m, my first foil kite

[windmlv]

Just bought a used, but crispy Elf Joker 6, 9m with new bridal lines.
Laid it out on my lawn but it was too windy for a first time launch yesterday.
Question; how do weigh the trailing edge of the kite for launching of a lawn?
No sand around which I see people normally use.
It all seems scary after years of inflatable kites.
The kite sure seems light after my Rebels.
Thanks for the input.

[SpunMonkey]

Congrats on your purchase, You'll hate flying tube kites soon!!!

-Watch the Ozone video about flying, Launching and landing their Chrono Kite

-Dont weigh down the trailing edge as you mention. No need to Hot launch a 9m. If its your first time launching, The Joker six will overfly your head by a mile and freak you out

-Get somebody with experience side launching foil kites to help if you can

-When side launching, weigh down a folded windward wing tip with a sand bag, stuff sack or something smooth- filled with sand, dirt of a couple water bottles.

Preinflate the kite by holding a few intake vents toward the wind. Lay the kite back on the ground and walk to your bar. As you would with a tube kite, stand just upwind of perpendicular and slowly bring up the far wingtip. Filling the kite and launching to the side.

As the kite goes up, The Wingtips may not inflate. Don't Freak out, Let the kite drift to the back of the window stalling it there if necessary. Sheet the Bar with the kite about 45º off the ground and ease the bar SLOWLY when the tips do fill. Kite will fly overhead quickly. Sheet on again to prevent overflying..

[SpunMonkey]

A great tutorial for Foil Kite flying

[Mossy 757]

Before you fly the kite for the first time, double check that your bar is properly tuned. There are some good videos on Youtube about how to do that, but the process is super simple.

Connect your line ends to a fixed point and make sure that they are all equal length. Walk back to your bar, tension your lines, then go to "full power" on your trim strap and sheet the bar all the way against the chicken loop. I like my bar to be set about 1/2" off the chicken loop, meaning my rear lines are about 1/2" shorter than my front lines with all my depower off. This setting means that sheeting the bar all the way against the loop with the kite in the air will give me a little back stall, which is nice with foil kites because it helps pull them back from the edge of the wind window where they can be a bit unstable in gusty conditions while body dragging or handling the kite on the beach. When I'm ready for my power stroke, I pull on about 1/2" of depower as this removes the backstall tendency and will allow me to sheet the bar fully without choking off the kite too much.

If you check your lines and find out that your front and rear lines are out of proportion, likely due to your front lines stretching, depending on your control system you can either extend your rear line pigtails, add pigtails, or on some bars you can lengthen the rear lines with knots found at or near the bar ends. I have the Ozone and Cabrinha race bars, they have a huge amount of depower available so for adjusting line length I usually just move the stopper knot on the depower rope at tiny bit to adjust the front/rear line ratios.

Lots of inflatables fly pretty well on out of tune bars, and for many, the first time they discover that their bar isn't tuned correctly is when they put their first foil kite in the air and it overflies the wind window or backstalls unexpectedly when fully sheeted.

Also remember to NEVER lose rear line tension while in the water...always keep a hand on the bar and keep your rear lines tight until you're comfortable with how the kite behaves. Unexpected collapses are usually a result of failing to properly keep your lines tensioned as the kite will overfly the window or start to deform.

A few practice sessions in super light wind on the beach will go a long way to making you feel more comfortable with foil kites. Whenever I'm waiting for the seabreeze to turn on, I always put my big 15m foil kite in the air to practice controlling it in light and marginal conditions. This experience will translate to the water and help you feel more comfortable when things inevitably go wrong.

It would also be a good idea to practice a deep-water packdown under controlled circumstances, but I can understand not wanting to dunk your delicate race foil right after you bought it.

SpunMonkey posted a great video, I also like this one.

https://youtu.be/DPMMpWfbHj8

[kitexpert]

It is very efficient kite, high AR and big cell count. Joker6 has very well stiffened LE, it looks almost prefilled when taken out and laid down for the launch. I have not seen a closed cell foilkite which fills faster when launched.

Just do your first flights in low winds, then there is no risks and launching hot is possible. For flying there is almost no low end, for example doing 360 circle is easily possible with that kind of kite.

It is exciting kite to fly, sometimes too much of it. In gusty high winds Rebel is better choice.

Good advice from SpunMonkey and Mossy 757.

[windmlv]

Thank you all for your quick replies.
I will only be using it for foiling.Aguera 160 board and Spotz.
My launch is off of my front lawn which makes life easier but used to self launching the Rebels not foil kites.
The excitement builds.
Most interesting about the overflying comment.
Only ever experienced that in really light wind with the Rebels.
The racers seem to agree on 6 inches of over sheeting when full power and fully sheeted in.
Quite the opposite of what you want with a Rebel.

[windmlv]

I am assuming that power will come from the increase in apparent wind as I accelerat on the foilboard.

[Mossy 757]

Thank you all for your quick replies.
I will only be using it for foiling.Aguera 160 board and Spotz.
My launch is off of my front lawn which makes life easier but used to self launching the Rebels not foil kites.
The excitement builds.
Most interesting about the overflying comment.
Only ever experienced that in really light wind with the Rebels.
The racers seem to agree on 6 inches of over sheeting when full power and fully sheeted in.
Quite the opposite of what you want with a Rebel.

6 inches sounds like too much, I'd try 1-2" if you want a lot of oversheeting and go up from there if it doesn't do what you want.

You're right in thinking your power will build more with apparent wind, with that foil you'll be able to go 23-25 knots upwind.

[foilholio]

I am told 9 inches is never too much.

[The Captain]

To answer your original question, use a sandbag to hold the folded over tip down for launching. Wont need to be too big for that sized kite.

And expect a learning curve...It is different and you will have a few lessons to learn.

Enjoy!