Just putting this out there,,,,Kingston land sailing regatta and wind fest on from January 23rd to January 28th 2017 the regatta is open to anyone who has any type of wind powered vehicle or kite.
Planning to have another Saturday night dinner also time and venue TBA.
Details of the regatta have not been finalized as its still early but as the year progresses more details will be posted so mark the dates on your calendar looking forward to another crack at the clay.

I think we need to brainstorm and decide on a permanent name for this little get together

So far its been:

Kingston Land Sailing Regatta and Wind Fest (2017?)
Kingston Wind Fest (2016)
Play on the Clay (2013, 2014, 2015)

Any thoughts?

Something along the lines of "Kingston Wind Fest" as it is inclusive of all wind powered objects, such as kites, kite buggies, skateboard with sail, land yachts of all descriptions and configurations. Maybe an imaginative theme for each year such as "Crack on the Clay", "Clay Happens", that's me done

the thing that i really enjoyed was that it just happened,rather than being stricktly organized. the days just flowed wonderfully. I even spent a half day sitting in a chair with a beer, watching how class 5 masts flexed under different sail shapes and winds ( and you thought i was sleeping.
keep it all fluid and keep it up

I think it was great how it was informal too.
It was a great 3 1/2 weeks away doing what I love.

This year was the 25th anniversary of the kiting boys coming to Kingston and that's why I made the effort to attend.

Hope the clay pans dry next year.

Keep it as the windfest then

I like Kingston Wind Festival, no worries with Kingston Wind Fest though. After speaking with a few people at the event this year I was surprised to hear many wanted to leave it as quite informal and 'low key'. Happy to hear it

Go with kingston wind festival covers everything,,, doesnt need to get bogged down with formality just keep it a simple get together of like minded people..

I see an announcement that the Blokart nationals are on in Kingston SE 25 - 28 Jan 17 too. Might be a busy time!

Sure will be! I know the Kiters will be there, as well as a few landyachts from other classes. Going to be busy on the clay if the sailable area is closer to the size it has been previous years (ie: much smaller).

Of course I have no doubt we will all get along fine...

HOW RUDE IS THIS!!!!

The Blokart powers that be, march in over the top of a well established meet and steamroll to your hearts content.
Kingston has been the Australia day meeting place for the power kiters for the last 25 years (that I know off and I'm just an outsider)

Have there been any negotiations with the kiting group who have established a great working liaison with the land owners that the lake is situated on???
This is a fantastic way to upset all the groups of people that use the lake for our enjoyment.

No wonder that there are less and less beaches that allow the use of blokarts.
You guys are buggering it up for the whole wind powed community.

A huge accolade.

Ok chook, jump off your hi horse for just a minute, ,,,this is probably as much my doing as anyone's. .we need to get a couple of facts straight right from the start. Firstly, no one has "steam rolled " anyone secondly, the lake itself is in fact crown land controlled by SA inland waterway and is in fact public acess, a fact which was pointed out to me by Ian the land holder whose land surrounds lake Nadzab. I myself have built up quite a good working relationship, for lack of a better word, with Ian and his father over the years that we have had the wind fest going. Ian, himself has said to me on more than 1 occasion that he would like to see either a national or international event held at the lake, so to say that he is not "on board" with the idea, well it couldn't be further from reality if you tried. As for the kite guys , there is more than enough room for them, the land sailers and the blokarts, and you'd have to admit, what a spactaular sight it would make, somrather than blowing off steam about something that is happening thousands of kilometers away in another state, make something positive about it instead...

The Blowies (read: individuals) had a good crack at naffing things up at Lefroy from what I've heard, and all but imploded their club in Safety Bay.
Chook has good reason to be concerned when events are being controlled by types who MAY have ulterior motives such as the lining of their own pockets and not the promotion and betterment of the sport.
Glad I didn't buy into the blowkart bull**** and took the cheaper alternative.

Yes Ian's a nice guy, it was great to see the grin on his face after he came back from a tandem buggy around the lake with Dukey, (20+ year lake Nadzab veteran) .
He commented on how brilliant it was to see the lake from that perspective.

Yes the lake is crown land and there is plenty of room on the lake for all, I just hope that people don't think they have more rights than others just because they formalize an "event" there.

Why is everyone getting their undies in such a knot,,the blokart club isn't trying to "take over" they are holding a 1 off national event to be held over 5 days in 1 year. There is room for everyone, cant see what the problem is.

If I Was a Kiter I would certainly see it as claim jumping. this year it was noticed by myself that when the blowies decided to have some impromptu races, they set a course that simply cut right across the kiters launch turn and landing area. I did hear complaints from the blowies along the lines of "why do the buggies need to cut right across our race..?"
I think you seriously need to get the nationals organizers to talk to the kiter organization because you have in reality poached their weekend by holding a blokart nationals

I think we're missing the point,,, this is public land,,not land exclusive to one group or other,,its just 5 days out of the whole year, a 1 off event, with i might add the blessing of both the land owner and the towns folk,, also and just as importantly there is room for everyone, i cant see for the life of me what the issue is, i cant see why a wind festival cant accommodate everyone, this is why wind events in this country, in my opinion are so fractured its all us and them, why cant it just be all of us..on the other hand , if it cant be all of us togeather to make that weekend something special, then the "event"is going ahead, with, like i said, the blessing of the locals so get over it...

If it is to be a special weekend with "all" of us together then maybe it could be advertised as such.
Of course there is room for everyone, no-one has contested that point, however there will need to be concessions made by a group of people who have been going to this lake on this weekend for 20+ years should you decide to lay your racing course directly across the lake, as you did this year, (I realize that it was the most sensible course to lay but it does not diminish the fact that we need to try go around it).
If we communicate well it should be a good week for all.

hey BB looks like you have never run a national championship before
maybe the kiters could could crash in on future blowkart championships with no problems hey
how would they like it
if its only 5 days hold the blowkart championship over easter and leave the kiters and wind festival to go ahead as normal

Lake Nadzab is a large area. The blowies sail around a triangle, don't know why you would sail around cones in a herd, but they don't need a lot of the lake surface. The kitebuggies sail the length of the lake. The other land yachts run where ever they want. If the lake surface is wet, lots of discussion waiting for it to dry. Kite buggies could have a launch and retrieval area pegged out, we keep clear.

Talking with some of the Kiter's, I do detect a small sense of toe stepping due to not being made part of the planning process. To come out advertising a large national competition without consultation can cause some worry (founded or not). As Ricochet said, if a hundred Kiters pulled up at a Blokart championship and were sailing I imagine the feelings may be similar.

Having just spoke to Greg, I can say that I don't see any issues arising. He is more than aware of people's fears and that the lake is for everyone (whatever they sail). Furthermore, racing and camping/setup areas for the Blokarts will be laid out with the other lake users in mind. Over time the organisers hope to quell all fears, and also look forward to the event being 'enhanced' by the presence of the other sailing/Kiting classes enjoying their sports

The more I see of Blokarters organising regional events the more I like my class 5. Im' a dealer in Kalgoorlie and some guys have forgotten the slogan of Blokart, starts with "FUN, fast and compact'.

If you are pissing people off and creating division in the ranks you have got it wrong.

Maybe we can list a few worries that we may have? This will give the organising committee a chance to address them at some point...


Constructive comments please, remember sarcasm doesn't translate through keyboards very well

Select to expand quote

Chook2 said..

Have there been any negotiations with the kiting group who have established a great working liaison with the land owners that the lake is situated on???

This is where the wheels fell off. No thought/consideration for the kiters that gathered every Aust Day.

As to your refrence of crown land Beachball.
I made no mention of the lake being privately owned as I knew it is crown land. (Rob and I had a coffee with the Marine and Transport Officer the first day we arrived in Kingston and found out where we could could buggy/sail). Percy had also explained the crown land issue to us, when he had applied to build the causeway through to the shearing shed.
I think everyone gets on well with the land owners (Percy and Ian) to gain access through to the lake. They visited us many times at the lake this year for a yarn. A really nice family.

Just to say "it's happening and get over it" is a very poor approach.


I think we have now raised most concerns.
Lachlan and Greg are working through the greivances in a most professional way.

As a retired committee member on our local "Festival of the wind" in Esperance, I can definitely see some State and local government input will also be needed.
Being a national meet, their insurance needs,/requirements will have to be met, along with heath issues and emergency proceedures that will be required.
Not knowing local by-laws, maybe evacuation plans etc will need to be put in place, due to the timing of this event in a "total fire ban" period.

Keeping in mind that this rural area has just gone through 2 years of severe drought. We may never see the lake as dry as it was this year. I dont know the lake first hand in other seasons, but it was only the the western foreshore that was quite solid and wasnt flicking mud after 4.00pm in the afternoon this year.
To say there will be plenty of room after a wet winter is a big call???
Talking to the kiters that have been there for many years, some times the sailing area has been really restricted to only 30mtrs of the western foreshore.

Regards Chook

Here is a hypothetical.....and ONLY a hypothetical...... Blokarts apply to council to hold the event and supply certificate of insurance to meet council / local gov regulations to comply.
The insurance / regulations state that (hypothetically) ALL uninsured craft are to be 500m+ away from event area. What insurance company would pay out knowingly that there uninsured craft in the vicinity?..... none of them!!!!

So make sure your craft / kite buggy has liability and manufacturer insurance or you just have been excluded from the site...... So Blokart championship 'on' + Wind Festival 'off' !!!!!

Local council will now has the regulations on file for future events, so lake closes FOREVER for home built / uninsured craft...... Forever.

Thanks a lot, so the Blokart championships move on to next year at another site, job done....... Oops sorry about your lake.

As someone else suggested Blokarts use the lake at a different time (Easter)

Well I'm over it,, try to get something happening for us all and this is what happens, , I've decided that I'm not even going, , I'll go back to sailing on my own, at least there's no negativity then,,,,argue among yourselves, this is why in our country, wind sports like ours will never co exist. .

Sorry to hear you say that Tony. This is all part of the process with stakeholders. I don't believe its negativity, just individuals worried about the future of a great sailing site and whether their annual pilgrimage to Kingston is going to be disrupted in 2017 and beyond. After speaking with Greg I'm not too worried about the latter in 2017, but for us (yourself included) that sail uninsurable homebuilt craft there are a few worries.


I dont envy envy the guys organising the Blokart nationals...so much to do, so many headaches.

I think that the issue of home built yachts not being allowed on the lake is a storm in a tea cup, ,i doubt very much that the council which dont even control the lake , by the way, would be remotely interested in what goes on there. We all have sailed there on a know the risk basis anyway, on public land no 1 group has more say in the use than any other groups, all I've seen here is all the negative aspects of what is happening, nothing positive like, what a great way to show case the different ways to harness the wind. But no lets focus on the so called negatives, let our key board sailors throw water on the fire. As for worrying about the future, why create worries that aren't even there.

I'm more thinking if the Rangers drop past the lake every day (or two) and kick us off, no one is going to bother staying there or sailing for very long (especially when we get as many yachts/Kites there as we had this year). There are reasons they could come up with (usually BS) to keep us off, especially if they get a little whisper in their ear about lack of insurance from another department. I admit this could happen anyway, its not just a Blokart Nationals issue, but holding such a big event is going to advertise our sport to these regulating bodies due to needing insurance/permits/amenities (I assume). What if the Parks crew want amenities every year? It may not come up as an issue, but it is a concern the Blokart Nationals organisers should address before they launched the event...

The Kiters have been travelling to Kingston for 25 years or so (maybe longer) and already have an event at this location on this date, they should at least have been consulted prior to an announcement (public land or not). An event known for its 'social' side and adversity to stress, formal competition and regulation.



This all said, I don't see this 'bump' in the road to Blokart Nationals as insurmountable. I'm sure once everyone is talking to each other, things will work out for the best.



Kiters can be contacted via the Extreme+Kites website/forums (there are 'Events' and 'Landyachts/Blokarts' sections) or via the EK Facebook group. They are very interested in hearing from the Nationals committee

The rangers did come past this year and we not all that fussed,, they said n that they would get to me if there was going to be any issues in the future, and to date they haven't contacted me, as for the kite guys , yes they have been there a long time, but if we are to'ing and fro'ing about who's right and who's wrong, it is my understanding that the kite folk use the beach without any permission from the local council, id say with out any permits to use the beach and with no insurance, the beach also has a speed limit of 25kph, which is hardly adheared to, so the same can be said for the kite group .
Like i said, people are making mountains out of molehills, again

So during the many days of next Jan 2017 long weekend how will the lake usage be allocated...?
Is it by a 'race by race' basis or 'hour by hour' allocation? or which sail craft ( Blokarts, LandYachts & Kite Buggies) get which section of the lake or do they ALL share a common section?
And what happens with the large number of Blokart races that would be required for a National championship, remembering the many divisions of the Blokart class?
How do you cope with a several hour marathon race that the Blokarts regard as a feature of the event?
How would it go if there was no wind in the mornings, meaning that racing / lake usage would only be in the afternoon?

**Tony, instead of dismissing peoples genuine concerns "as getting their undies in a knot" try seeing the big picture from other peoples perspective. If all these genuine concerns were dealt with appropriately with all stakeholders well in advance of the event maybe everyone might be a little more supportive.