Windlimits?

Sailing a kite board is not like sailing a sailboat. But you already figured that out. Didn't you?

One of the basic differences is in how they regulate there 'sail' in heavy wind conditions. On a sailboat you start trimming. More tension on the back stay. Flattening reef. Leeward with the traveler. Or even reefing the mainsail and changing the jib.

Kite boarders don't have those options. Sure you can - to a certain extend - de-power your kite by letting go of the handle bar. But the size of the kite stays the same.....

Or does it?

No, it does not. Any skilled kite boarder has a range of kites varying from 6 to 18 m2. Eight or seven of them. He or she picks the kite most suitable for the wind conditions and their own mass. Heavier, stronger riders, choose bigger kites. Smaller people need less square footage and choose a smaller size. And that's also how they cope with stronger winds. More wind equals smaller kites.

The International Kiteboard Class Rules however, have a limit on the number of kites you can use for an event. For a sailboat I can understand that you want to limit the number of sails - sound economical issues are to be considered. But to do the same for kiteboarders is like tying a knot in your sheet. You are not allowed to trim your main out any further. No matter how hard the wind is blowing. You must sail with a tight sheet.

Riders must judge the wind conditions for an event - look at the forecasts and choose three sizes they want to use. Those three kites are registered at the beginning and only those three they are allowed to use.

We all know how predictable weather can be. Those weather guys never get it wrong.
So that's fair, no?

Unless.

You're on the north German shore of the North sea. One day it is a balmy 23 degrees, with sunshine and low 8 to 14 knot breeze. The next day it's blowing your socks off, with rain and 42 knots wind.
But those weather guys saw that coming weeks ahead.....

There's wind, let's go kiting.

For more pictures:VW Beetle PKRA Germany SPO day 3

The amazing thing is that kiteboarder go sailing in those conditions... provided they can use their smaller kites. They love it. No wave to high, no breeze to strong. They just go faster.... and higher.....

The Race Committees for next year's World Cup events have a surprise coming. When every other class stays ashore because the wind is too strong.... kiteboarders will want to go racing!

Unless they are forced in using a limited number of kites...... or even only one.


J.

Kite Boarding in Turkey; part 3, Bosporus

Instead of continuing at Burc Beach we went on a 'school' trip..

The organizers set up a venue along the Bosporus and invited us all to go and do some 'show' kiting there. It was a fun day. There's were snowboarders, freestyle jumps, course racing and even a guy balancing in water jets:

The snowboard ramp. The guys would accelerate down and then did their jumps after a smaller uphill ramp, landing in the water. They were picked up by a rubber-boat and started all over again.

 Traffic on the Bosporus, from small to huge tankers and container vessels. This is 'push' tugboat.

 

Our VIP-tent. Free drink and food with an elevated view on the Bosporus

The launching area was concrete/asfalt - not very good for kites - and very small. But the riders managed and with the help of others managed to launch and land their 18m2 kites.

 Brian Lake with his biggest kite weaving between passenger boats and other traffic on the Bosporus.

The passengers - and the crew - must have thought those kiters were mad. Coming so close to their boats. But there were no collisions or entanglements. All riders showed their amazing skills in maneuvering between boats and obstructions.

The water-jets are powered by a jet-ski and this guy balanced on four of them (two below his feet and two on his hands) several meters above the water. He could also jump like a dolphin out of the water. Amazing. If a kiter came too close he blasted them with a water spray.

Like I said, a fun day.
Today we're back at the beach hoping the wind will pick up a little more so we can back to our courses. Five races in, three more to go. Should be possible. For tomorrow Wind-guru predicts 20 knots.
J.

Kite boarding in Turkey; part 2

Clear Astern and Clear Ahead; Overlap
The definition in the Racing Rules of Sailing says:

Clear Astern and Clear Ahead; Overlap One boat is clear astern of another when her hull and equipment in normal position are behind a line abeam from the aftermost point of the other boat’s hull and equipment in normal position. The other boat is clear ahead. They overlap when neither is clear astern. However, they also overlap when a boat between them overlaps both. These terms always apply to boats on the same tack. They do not apply to boats on opposite tacks unless rule 18 applies or both boats are sailing more than ninety degrees from the true wind.

In Appendix BB (the kite boarding appendix) there's NO change to this definition. The definitions of finish and start are amended so that the kite does not count, but not in clear ahead and clear astern; overlap. There, the kite is part of the equipment and does count for overlap.

Here's the problem:
The kite is a long way ahead and to the side of the rider. Depending on the length of his lines between 20 to 30 meters. The rider cannot see if his kite past the line abeam from the board in front. And it can change in an instant by just raising the kite or lowering it. The rider in front may be able to see if he pays attention to the kites behind, but he has to concentrate on his own - not interfering with kites in front.
To be able to see definitely if kite boarders are overlapped or not, you need a 'wing' boat to windward at every kite board. And that is clearly impossible.

I'm more than ever convinced that this particular definition also needs changing to work on the water.
We all know that the rules change with overlap from 12 to 11, with addition of limitations rules, like 15. The riders are not able to do this with the current definition.

 

According to the definition these kite boarders are overlapped; #4 has right of way.  The rider with the hat needs to keep clear.

I heard suggestions from judges and from riders what to use. My vote is on the hull alone. If the kite board is overlapped with another's hull, then the rules should change. Before that the rider has to keep clear under rule 12, including his kite.
Everybody can concentrate on their own kite and does not have to worry about someone coming from behind, until they are very near.

Perhaps something to think about when the new 2013-2016 rules will be published?
Appendix BB will be in that rulebook......

J.

Kite boarding in Turkey–part 1

I'm at a PKRA World Cup event (again) this time in Kumkov Burc Beach. It is on the European side of Turkey on the edge of the Black Sea, very near the entrance of the Bosporus. Today was the first day and we had fantastic wind to do the kite boarding. Three upwind downwind races in quick succession and now the freestyle riders are doing their jumps and loops. I’m here as an IJ to chair the Protest committee. So far no work today – no protests.

I talked to the riders and others about the sport and about the rules. And helped with the finish. The biggest problem at the finish in these circumstances is to recognize the number on the riders. They are issued with a pullover with a big black number, but the finish is outside the surf and about a 100 meters from the beach. Even with binoculars it is sometimes impossible to see. The number is on their backs and if the wind angle is towards shore, like here, they face the beach with their back away from you.

I racked my brain how to improve this, but have not found he answer. Everything I suggested was shot down as to disturbing to the kite performance – like putting a sail number on the kite. The material is similar to spinnaker cloth and any stickers would drastically impact the bending. Streamers between the lines just would interfere with looping and might vibrate the lines, as do any other flags or stuff on the lines.

For now we just look at the kite – colour and make – and write those down. When the riders return to the beach we run around sorting out numbers and pray and hope we get it right. Preliminary results have been published and no requests for redress as of yet. There are several similar kites in make and colour, so that is a relief for the finish committee….

If any of you have suggestions how to improve the identification, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment.

J.

Kitesurfing Rules! Part 2

Appendix BB is changing quit a lot of definitions;
For overlap the kite does count, but for finishing it doesn't. The competitor even has to be in contact with board to be able to finish according to the definition:

Finish  A kiteboard finishes when, while the competitor is in contact with the hull, any part of her hull, or the competitor in normal position, crosses the finishing line in the direction of the course from the last mark, either for the first time or after taking a Turn Penalty under rule 44 or correcting an error made at the finishing line under rule 28.1.

So if the rider gets separated from his board just before the finish line, he has to get it back before he can cross. Or cross again with the board. I think he can swim with it, over the line - or walk with the board over the line, if the water is shallow enough, as long as he's holding on to the board. But the experts next to me here say, he should be on top of it.... kiting. (That's not what the wording states, imho). But of course they are right, Appendix BB also changes rule 42:

42 PROPULSION
A kiteboard shall be propelled only by the action of the wind on the kite, by the action of the water on the hull and by the unassisted actions of the competitor. However, the competitor shall not make material forward progress by paddling, swimming or walking.

Another definition:

Start  A kiteboard starts when, her hull and the competitor having been entirely on the pre-start side of the starting line at or after her starting signal, and having complied with rule 30.1 if it applies, any part of her hull, or the competitor crosses the starting line in the direction of the first mark.

In this definition again the kite does not play any part. It may cross the line before the starting signal and may never come behind the line.

Not only many definitions have been changed. In the rules of Part 2 also a lot has been changed and/or added. For example rule 21,3 has been changed and a new rule 21.4 has been added:

21.3 During the last minute before her starting signal, a kiteboard that significantly slows down or stops, or one that is not making material forward progress, shall keep clear of all others unless she is accidentally capsized. 
21.4 A kiteboard that is jumping shall keep clear of a kiteboard that is not. During that time rules 10, 11 and 12 do not apply. If two kiteboards are jumping at the same time, then the kiteboard required to keep clear under rule 10, 11 or 12 shall do so.

In practice this means all starts are more or less flying starts. Combined with a permanent black flag starting penalty, it means riders have to stay well clear of the line in the last minute and time their approach very accurately.


We're preparing for the second race of the day. The wind has picked up and looks like it is holding steady. The finish is straight before my window in the RC-tower. I'm enjoying myself here......
Have look at the website and follow the action: Kite World Tour
J.

Kitesurf Rules! Appendix BB explained

For kiteboarding there is a separate appendix, just like for surfing, match racing and team racing. Since kiteboarding has been developing pretty rapidly in the last years, the rules also have been updated and brought into line with the 'normal'  racing rules of sailing.

The current Appendix BB has been changed on January 4th 2012. That is the version we are using here at the Worldcup in Scheveningen.

To determine 'Clear Ahead, Clear Astern and Overlap' the kite does count!

 The picture suggests that boards have to avoid the kite, but the distance between rider and kite is about 33 meters. And kiteboarders can control the height above the water pretty accurately, so usually one is just going over or under the other.

In order to get more speed the riders want to keep the kite lower rather then higher. Flying over an opponent is quite normal. And bringing your kite up to prevent the windward kite from passing is not changing direction and therefor not limited by rule 16! You can effectually prevent someone of passing you.

Oooh, in case you are wondering, looping is done when you are sailing downwind. In order to get more power the kite is turned clockwise or counterclockwise fast. That generates more flow and thus more power.

Download the complete rules on the ISAF Website:
Appendix BB Experimental Kiteboarding Competition Rules

O'Neill 2012 Worldcup Kite Boarding

I'm currently at the O'Neill 2012 Worldcup Kite Boarding event in The Hague as chairman of the PC.

Since kite-boarding has been part of the ISAF 'Family' there has to be at least one IJ at high level events.When I was invited I told the organizers that I knew nothing about kite-boarding and the rules involved.That was not a problem, they told me, the other judges would be knowledgeable. If I could be the chairman and help them with procedural issues.
I agreed and promised to study up on Appendix BB (recently changed on 4 January 2012).

I've been watching the freestyle competition and learned a couple new things.

Did you know:

- There are no metal or carbon parts stiffening a kite? It is all done by pumping air into tubes running along the front of a kite and as spokes in the wing.

- That the board has no stern? Both ends are the same and are alternately used as front or back.

- That there are four fins under a board? A pair on both ends, i.e. in all four corners.

- That the kite is controlled by three lines? One in the middle splitting out in the two going to the front of the wing, splitting out in four each divided along the length. It connects through the bar to the harness of the sailor. The two in the back going to each end of the bar the sailor handles. If he pulls the bar straight down along the center line, both back-lines are pulled and the kite-shape changes. The wing is pulled down in the back. If he pulls left or right, only one end is pulled and the kite changes direction.

- That a kite doesn't 'tack'. When changing from SB to P the kite is looped up and down the other side and the board starts sailing the other way. (I have to ask about this - tacking is still in App. BB)

We have not been racing yet - only freestyle. The wind direction is not suited for racing- being on shore at almost at a right angle. But nice and strong for jumping - which freestyle basically is.

I'm learning......