Foil Kites - 4 knots ?

[Jzh_perth]

Can a foil kite be used in as little as 4 knots ?

Pumpy wouldn't think so...

https://www.facebook.com/flysurferkiteb ... 913984661/

[foilholio]

I like the board pumping that is just class!

[grigorib]

I could fly my 19m Speed3 Deluxe in 3.5-4 knots however riding wasn't possible until it blew 6 knots.
Same results I got, surprisingly from 15m Sonic because of thinner profile, comparable wing weight, high AR and improved (2x split cells) trailing edge.

[plummet]

I can in the kite buggy with a 12m chrono. But it's batshit boring. I'd prefer to go mountain biking

[flyingcamel]

i highly doubt those downwind transitions are in in 4 kts.

[airsurfer]

Yeah probably 10 knots plus for sure but who cares I just want to be able to do transitions like that at any windspeed! My sonic 15 had to be coaxed just to stay in the air static flying on the ground below 5 knots

[ronnie]

One thing I look at is how fast the board is going.

Riding at 3 times the windspeed would be a great achievement and I think is accepted for the top racers (although the wind speed up where the kite is might be higher than where the kiter is).

So in 4 knots, I wouldn't expect the kiter to be going faster than 12 knots.

[foilholio]

Some of it looks 4 knots some looks 6-7knots and maybe a bit more. Wind is never really constant in speed or direction, occasionally it can. I usually base my assumptions on the wind from experience flying the kites with wind readings being taken at the same time but also what the weather stations record and associated water conditions. There is definitely kites that will static fly in 4 knots and less. The sonic is not the lightest of kites but the 18m would be the best/lightest of them all. Unless you have experienced the added ease of the bigger size in a series I would temper your doubt.

I thought 4x wind speed was possible on a hydrofoil?

[flyingcamel]

theres no way especially on that last down wind foot change transition is in 4 kts with out him out running the kite and putting it in the water. i cant imangine anyone riding on water in 4kts unless its frozen and the air is around freezing temperature or below. ive flown 18m foil kites and 9m single skins in that speed in the winter and unless your moving on clean ice it takes alot of effort and constant movement just to keep it airborne. havent flown the race foils but from what ive witnessed in person, it is still not possible. Maybe you can foil through a 4kt lul while you are already up to speed but a down wind transition is nonsense.

[Jzh_perth]

Remembering that kites fly on apparent wind (and not real wind ) if he was moving at 12-16 knots across the water, there is more than enough wind to make downwind foiling transitions, especially when down looping the kite.

Those of you who foil with these race kites would know that once you are moving, you feel just as powered up as any other session. It's only when you stop or drop the kite that you realise you can't actually relaunch again.

I'm not half as talented as him, but I can can make downwind foiling gybes on my sonic 15 in pretty light conditions as long as I keep downloop the kite and stay up on the foil. If I drop the kite mid turn ..... Swim time