Edge 19m and Sonic 11m Back to Back Comparison

[davesails7]

I was able to do a back to back comparison of my 11m Sonic and 2013 19m Edge (used to be mine) today in 8-10 knots of wind (measured 200' above water, 2 miles offshore). I was able to switch kites very quickly, so it was a good back to back comparison riding the two kites in the same wind, on the same board. I'm 165 lbs on Spotz2.

The most noticeable difference was the amount of power the kites made in the loop. Hands down, the 11m Sonic made way more power when you looped it to get going than the 19m Edge did. Because of this it was easier to get going on the 11m Sonic than the 19m Edge. I knew size for size, the foil kites made more pull in the loop, but I was really surprised that the 11m Sonic had more pull than the 19m Edge when you moved it.

The other surprising thing was how stable the Edge was. I didn't drop either kite, but the 11m Sonic was more nervous in the air when I wasn't moving, needed some attention. Usually in this wind, I'm on my 15m Sonic which hangs in the air a little better (better weight/projected area) so I'll be interested to try the same back to back with the 19m Edge and 15m Sonic.

Other areas:
Upwind angle: Sonic pointed noticeably higher
Board speed: Sonic was noticeably faster
Small jumps: A little higher on Edge, a little more hang time on Sonic
Float through foiling tacks: Slightly more float on Sonic, but Edge floated pretty well
Turning: Edge turns tighter. You can stall the Sonic and get it to spin around in place, but generally it does very wide sweeping turns with lots of power. Edge had less power when you moved it, but it turns tighter and faster.
Relaunch: The foil kites relaunch in almost no wind as long as they dont get tangled on the way down.
Swim in: Didn't have to today, but Edge 19m is WAY nicer to swim in with

There are tradeoffs, but for me, the race foil kites are a game changer. Blasting around at high speed in 7-8 knots is great. I'll find the occasional swim in worth it for the added performance.

[Peter_Frank]

Good observations Dave, and almost spot on with my experiences with these "different type" of kites in general.

Above points you list is the very reason I use an 11m2 foil kite (ELF, not as nervous but more fixed in the air) as my max size being average weight, and not a LW LEI for 4-6 knots of wind, instead of a bigger LEI or a bigger foil kite.

A bigger foil kite will generate more power when parked, but a 12m2 can generate the same when looped so the ultimate marginal low end is the same, but much more fun and agile if you are into that, IMO

And the downsides are there too - particulary the occasional swim

PF

[davesails7]

Have you tried the 11m sonic to compare to the elf? I've flown the chrono and sonic in 15m size and felt sonic was a bit more stable, but I never had a chance to ride them back to back so can't be sure.

I've never ridden an elf, but I've been in a few races where wind is gradually dropping and so half the kites can't even make it back to the beach. In those cases I haven't seen any clear winner in absolute low end between elf, chrono, r1, and sonic. Ive seen a slight edge to the F1 foil kite, but the guys riding them were the top racers so it might have just been their experience and ability to stay on foil though every tack and jibe without ever slowing down.

[Frank Rosin]

Had an impressive light wind session on Ozone Chrono V2 9m yesterday.
Wind around 6-10kts.
Had a blast!
Amazing feeling to travel at 3x windspeed in these conditions.
Once the board is off the water kite size is not super critical anymore.

Swimming in from time to time simply is part of the game when pushing wind limit I guess.