Kiteboat advantages

 

More Apparent wind

A kite is a sail that you can fly through the air or just park it in the air.  As you fly a kite, it is speeding up and will have lots of aparant wind!  Creating more power when you want to, how awsome is that! As sailors know it is all about apparant wind.  Using a flying sail or kite is the utmost example of  using apparant wind!

Less heeling momentum:

Masted sail boats have a central point of forces in their sails, some meters above the water. Therefore creating a higher/bigger  heeling momentum. (and we should not forget the pitching momenum forward)  A kite is generating order forces. A kite has a low heeling momentum as it is attached low on deck. So you can have more m2 sail when kiteboating, compared to masted sailing. Guess what is faster then.

How I came to this;

As being a sailor originally,  I took a kite lesson around somewhere 2011,  just because I wanted to know how it worked and felt.  After an hour I felt the huge extra power of a flying sail. So there is the point where I started kite sailing, an amazing new sailing sport. After several try outs on existing dinghies with more experienced kiters, it became clear that  kiteboating is totally different and needed her own hull. After a couple of protoypes and hours on the water, years later;  the plugs and moulds have been developed and constructed in 2015.

Hull Shape:

Because forces are totally different when sailing with a kite, a Kiteboat does need a wide planing surface on the aft and it requires less volume in the front below the waterline. Most masted dinghies are designed with a large volume in the front to cope with the pitching and a smaller planing surface on the aft. (laser, Finn joll, 470, etc)

It resulted in the most accessible kiteboat dinghy, a monohull off course because it is much more playfull, The Kitetender 400

 

Kitetender essentials;

1. Depending on what kites you use you can achive boatspeeds over windspeed and beating therefore all other masted dinghies
2. If an well experienced crew, you can go over 20knots of boatspeed
3. You can manouvre better with the Kitetender then any other masted sailboats.
4. You need  wind in order the kite stays in the air.

What skills are needed to Kitetender?

• A bit of dinghy sailing would be an advantage. Sailing with a kite is like sailing a big gennaker, you have too much presure, go downwind, If you need pressure, go upwind.
• Kitecontrol is a neccessary skill.  If you can fly a 4 or 5 depower kite on land and  you are confident with it, you can have a go.
• Allways make sure you start in easy waters and with a small kite in moderate winds and circumstances to get to know kitesailing.
• Be seated all times, have at least 1 foot in the footstraps, accelerations can be huge
• Go out preferrable with the people who have Kitetender experience and teaching abilities, like the Kitetender Centers mentioned !

Watch this edit and read on;

 

More Video’s at Kitetender Youtube link 

 

Download the full specifications here Kitetender400 specs 2016 (002)

in short;

Specifications KiteTender 400

length	440 cm
width	140 cm
weight	85 Kg
construction	vacuum infusion sandwich from moulds
materials	glass fibre, vinylester, foam
CE norm	C coastal waters  design& production
design	Peter Schermer (www.peterschermer.nl)
calculations	PeterBosgraafyachtdesign
price	currently on demand (indication 7.500. euro ex vat, ex works)

ask for a package deals and get a quote, via

• Peter Renssen
• kitetender@gmail.com
• + 31 653 84 88 72 (GMT+1)
• The Netherlands

 

 

 

Below you will find some video’s among which some explain how to, without aiming to have a complete training course.

Kitetender 400, The ultimate kite dinghy, 100% awsome fun! 

 

 

 

Kitetender 400 standard  comes standard with ;

• closed hull, open transom, self draining cockpit, smooth gliding

• watertight compartment
• pivoting rudder

 

 

• centreboard with auto release for easy landings on beaches or shallow waters

 

 

 

 

• inspection holes,( in this case with a velocity speedpuck on it and a safety line not to loose it, not standard delivery, option).

 

 

 

A shot from the kite whil gybing

 

Kalf trailer ideal to load 3 x Kitetender400’s check  www.kalftrailers.com

 

 

nice smooth gliding in small wind, very low drag

 

easy cruising

Gybing with helmsman and designer Peter Schermer (www.peterschermer.nl) and Peter Renssen (kite)

 

 

Fast planing (small stripes on the water at the right mark the wind) with kitepilot Tom Court & helmsman Peter Renssen