Spacemonkey! said...

You could come up with a stupid reason to exclude windsurfers too. In the end it is just stupid terminology. If it is wind powered, it is sailing IMO. However I will never say I'm going out for a sail, unless I am taking the piss. It all boils down to them not being happy that kiters reach 50 knots first.

By any measure windsurfing is sailing. Of course you are not sitting down, holding onto a tiller and pulling on ropes. However all those bits and pieces in yachts and dingies doesn't make them sailing.

Its exactly the same with hangliding vs paragliding (not sure what they are called). A hanglider is flying when it soars around. Paragliders just sort of float around and are not flying. You would never say a parachute is flying.

Standing on a tiny board in 5cms of water with a kite 20 meters away from you, attached by strings is not sailing. Kiteboarding has more in common with wakeboarding than sailing, except the power source is the wind, not a motor.

Mobydisc said...

You would never say a parachute is flying.

Moby,
I like your thinking.........
therefore

Kiting is like skydiving in reverse but done horizontally.

Gestalt said...

Windhogger said...

The Kite/board setup performs basicly the same as any other sailing craft eg. it uses lateral resistance to point upwind, and can do all the other points of sailing, also gybing and tacking etc. Just happens that now and again we get more altitude and speed than most other sailing craft can

PS. Catman hit a peak speed of 60+ knots at Luderitz

if that's the case mate it should be easy for most kiters to figure out port/starboard rules then.


i'm bored.

I agree, and more so with the newer kites having better control, we have no excuses

I'm bored too.

jamez said...

out with the old, in with the new i say. time to step up and put the iron boards in the cupboard and buy a kite guys.

Hey jamez thats hitting below the belt..... I'm ducking for cover!

this is the fastest sail speed record i believe.

www.nalsa.org/speed_record.htm

I wonder how Finians kite lessons are going

Gestalt said...

this is the fastest sail speed record i believe.

www.nalsa.org/speed_record.htm

Whoa. 100knots and field assembly mentioned as 'duct tape' try that for your kites then, haha


Dr. Speed, that picture means nothing to us over here.

When I first looked at it the image on the right looked like a racing car tyre

What are you trying to explain with it? It has no freeboard indications, dimensions, etc, what are you talking about?

Spit it out now son

Dr Speed said...

I think, for the ISAF the racing car tyre on the kiteboard was the ultimate proof that kiteboarding is not sailing

Umm... don't think so.

kiters are the sailors nightmare[}:)]:

Dr Speed said...

kiters are the sailors nightmare[}:)]:

only the dickheads


All the rest are good crew

As windsurfer, I am as keen as anyone for a windsurfer to hold the record, however I have seen no sensible argument so far as to why kites do not now hold the record.

It's a joke.

As a windsurfer I also would love for someone from our sport to hold the outright world sailing speed record, but as far as i'm concerned that's no longer the case and in my opinion we will never again hold the record.

Lets be realistic this is the 'outright world record' It's not the 'fastest windsurfer' record. The number of radical contraptions that have had a crack at the record over time is staggering. Look at Yellow Pages, it's basically a wing on it's end sitting atop of what can hardly be considered a function sailing craft as we know one. It can only sail in one direction, only sail at particular angles of attack and apart from a couple of locations in the world is utterly useless. At least anyone can go down to the kite shop, grab a kite and a board (ok maybe modify the board) and have a crack at the world speed record.

It's the world speed sailing record, as far as i'm concerned almost anything goes, a kite is hardly bordering on the radical.

i think the asaf is grasping at strings!

Dr Speed said...

kiters are the sailors nightmare[}:)]:

I've seen that dickhead before, he doesn't know whether he is coming or going

The amazing thing about the recent run of kite records is that they are being achieved on standard seaworthy equipment. The inflated leading edge and floppy aspect plan really distorts in apparent winds over 50kts and a finite limit will be reached. All sailors have to applaud the achievement
When kite design gets extreme (like some sailboats have) with a carbon fibre leading edge foil, and a dozen fully formed carbon battens, even a solid foil perhaps, then perhaps 100 kts is the potential. But it won't be sailing!
It will be very expensive after a crash and will not be self launching from the water. A really dangerous machine to fly, at this time the ISAF might have reason to withdraw their recognition.
Congratulations to the 50kt heros.