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50 Knot Challenge - Sam Light

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RedSky
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Re: 50 Knot Challenge - Sam Light

Postby RedSky » Wed Nov 04, 2020 1:22 pm

Well, it's an edited video designed for entertainment purposes rather than analysis, so there isn't much we can glean from it, but he has included a clip at 4:35 that shows him unable to utilise the gusts effectively, being savagely pulled off course and him having to instantly depower in an attempt to stay upwind.
To be honest we don't need to see the video to know this, the maths already tell us the outcome. A 9m isn't going to be the most efficient setup in 40kts unless you have a limited amount of space to work with and where acceleration is more important, Luderitz for example. This is my experience also. I have to fly overpowered too, due to limited space. Portland Harbour in comparison is massive. He could have gone a fair bit faster if he had dropped a size. That's all I'm saying.

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Re: 50 Knot Challenge - Sam Light

Postby Matty V » Wed Nov 04, 2020 3:21 pm

so the edited video for entertainment that you are now analyzing? while Portland is indeed massive the actual area of flat water in that wind strength and direction is anything but massive.

a fair bit faster than 49.8kts? what would that speed look like?

do bear in mind that bar Sam hitting that speed and the other bloke doing over 50 are the two highest speeds there, only one other kiter has done over 50 in the UK at a better location so i am curious how much faster Sam could have gone for his first time on that kit.

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Re: 50 Knot Challenge - Sam Light

Postby andylc » Wed Nov 04, 2020 3:43 pm

So Sam has his first ever go at speed kitesurfing, in an area which wasn’t specially set up for it, goes pretty much faster than anyone else has done in the UK, within a few knots of the world record which is what 57 knots or so? And he could have done better?

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Re: 50 Knot Challenge - Sam Light

Postby Matty V » Wed Nov 04, 2020 4:25 pm

that is what red sky is suggesting lol

only difference is that Sam was going for peak speed and the Kite WR is average over 500m

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Re: 50 Knot Challenge - Sam Light

Postby andylc » Wed Nov 04, 2020 6:00 pm

True - forgot that - bloody rubbish (in a Geoff Boycott accent).
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Re: 50 Knot Challenge - Sam Light

Postby Mossy 757 » Thu Nov 05, 2020 1:58 am

Getting your watch to say 49+ for the camera is very cool and requires much skill, but is pretty attainable for a kiter at Sam's level all things considered.

That shouldn't take away from the coolness of the video.

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Re: 50 Knot Challenge - Sam Light

Postby nothing2seehere » Thu Nov 05, 2020 10:06 am

How have we got to the second page and not mentioned the crash? That was a ripper of a crash. I winced as I saw every big crash I've done in the last year - but from a spectators perspective.

Edit: for the squeamish, its more of a 'ooo -that's going to leave a mark' rather than trip to hospital looking crash

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Re: 50 Knot Challenge - Sam Light

Postby RedSky » Thu Nov 05, 2020 10:14 am

Matty V wrote:
Wed Nov 04, 2020 3:21 pm
so the edited video for entertainment that you are now analyzing? while Portland is indeed massive the actual area of flat water in that wind strength and direction is anything but massive.

a fair bit faster than 49.8kts? what would that speed look like?

do bear in mind that bar Sam hitting that speed and the other bloke doing over 50 are the two highest speeds there, only one other kiter has done over 50 in the UK at a better location so i am curious how much faster Sam could have gone for his first time on that kit.
I was analyzing the video for our benefit, but as i said, you don't need to see the video to know he was overpowered. The numbers tell the story.
A fair bit faster should have seen Sam edge a few knots off the current record. Say 54.755 kts :D

Luderitz, a Mecca for the world's fastest vs Portland Harbour Pros and Cons

Luderitz - Pros - ultra flat water and predictable high winds in November. Cons - dangerous narrow channel, dependant on wind direction, very remote location for most.

Portland Harbour, Pros - Sams local flat water spot, high wind potential, not wind dependant, accessible to many, relatively huge downwind runoff area. Cons - unreliable wind.

Sam did extremely well but his lack of experience in this discipline shows. The "go big or go home" mantra cost him a potentially higher speed. I have no doubt about that.
Portland gifted him with big wind, turbo gusts, flat water, plus a ton of downwind room for that last second broad-reach speed increase. This should have seen him come within a few knots of the world record.

Sam was gifted with great conditions yet he failed to yield the best from it. Not to take anything away from him of course, as every one knot increase becomes exponentially harder to achieve the faster you go.
The difference between 54knts and 57knts are worlds apart. The video is great entertainment, i enjoyed it and gave it a well deserved thumbs up, especially seeing as he wasn't even taking the whole idea that seriously to begin with, but it does go to show that even in the most ideal conditions it takes real skill and experience to pull off something truly special and I think Sam would agree.

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Re: 50 Knot Challenge - Sam Light

Postby Matty V » Thu Nov 05, 2020 3:51 pm

which world record should he have come close too?

you know that the 500m record is 57+ average
his average for 500m that day was 36+

the British 500m record is 45.58 (set at Luderitz)

the 2 second peak for a kite is 61.25
his was in the 48 region

Portland despite all the incredible positives that you list is simply not comparable with Luderitz or the south of France where the record was set

the flippancy that you use (failed to get the best from it etc) is what grates, given your kit set up Hydra and Furtives ( pretty specialized bits of kit) I guess you have competed a fair bit?

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Re: 50 Knot Challenge - Sam Light

Postby AndersP » Thu Nov 05, 2020 6:08 pm

RedSky

Please compare apples to apples and pears to pears.
For the 500m record in Luderitz you have an acceleration part. Then you bear away and go straight for 500m with the board edged.

For the 2 second record you have the same acceleration part and bear away part. But when a gust hits you you bear away even more and flatten the board to momentarily increase the speed and reduce the friction even more. The bearaways is done on purpose and a gives a sort of slingshot effect. You are supposed to be highly powered to be able to achive that effect.

If you watch the Luderitz vids you can see that the course have a left turn after the acceleration part. You will get overpowered in the end of the accelleration part, bear away in the straight channel and increase the speed. You can't get a sustained slingshot effect for the whole run.
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