What to do if foilkite lies leading edge towards me?

[wavy navy]

Hi,
what can I do if the foilkite (in my case hyperlink) lies on the surface, leading edge pointing in my direction? In very low wind?
Pulling thr frontlines only puts more water into it. Pulling the backlines has also no effect.

Must I swim towards the kite and flip it over?

Thx

[evan]

Swim towards it and let it fly inside out straight up, it should invert back to normal flight once it gets high enough.

With a VMG2 this is the only way to relaunch in low to medium winds, as you can't fly it backwards by pulling on the back lines because it only has A and C rows without brake/Z. With some practice this inverted relaunch can be even faster than a backwards relaunch as it will automatically fly up inverted where backwards flying can be a pain sometimes, especially if the LE has collected some water.

[MarkusK]

"Leading edge towards me" doesn't completely define how the kite is lying.

I think Evan's solution applies when the kite is lying on the back, with the bridles on top of the kite. In that position, an intermediate kite like the Hyperlink should also be able to launch backwards with a pull on both steering lines. I say should, because at least V1 of the Hyperlink has its outer air intakes placed way too far towards the wingtips, so it just fills with water. Others like the Soul, Nova, Falcon, Empulse, etc. have way better relaunch capabilities in low wind.

But I think wavy navy actually meant the other way 'round where the bridle is in the water and the kite is like in its 12 o'clock overhead flying position. There, the best solution is to keep almost no tension on the lines, or maybe even sligthtly pull the steering lines. Then wait for a gust to creep below the kite and lift it up a little. As soon as the leading edge separates from the water, pull the corresponding front line(s), but only a few cm and with quick pulses. A Kauper Falcon can launch like this in 3kn. Heavier kites need more wind. Or you need to roll up your bar while swimming to the kite, thereby avoiding too much line tension. Then put the kite on its trailing edge and release the lines while keeping tension on the front lines.

[Peter_Frank]

I am a bit curious now?

Are you riding at the same spot where you wingfoil - meaning extremely gusty and shifting winds, and no beach but trees around?

If so, why a foilkite that might eventually stay down in the water, as opposed to a light 1 strut LEI which can be launched in the next puff, always?

You are used to, and good with LEI's I can see.

Or is it an attempt to find a really stable foilkite that can handle the crazy wind even better than LEI's, but still has a relaunch chance as opposed to the most stable single skin kites?

I think all foil kites will collapse in your winds.

LEI's might also drop, but can be relaunched.

Or maybe you have been thinking, a drowned foilkite can be picked up by boat from helpers/family, where a LEI would drift into a tree if you dont manage to launch it?

Maybe you have had too many LEI's that drops, so you want to see if there is anything more stable?
Makes sense


Just curious as said

Peter