Took the Silberpfeil down the lake after work ... set up and launched in what felt like 12 knots - whatever it was, I wouldn't have wasted time launching the 'bow. Just checked the weather report, which reckoned 10 knots. It was sketchy either way.
Hot launch, pulled the LE up and let it sit for a bit then walked back and it wanted to fly so I let it go up. Half-inflated and it still dragged me off downwind! The center section inflated very rapidly but more of the tips stayed uninflated* until they popped out - I'd say over all, it inflated faster but at different rates :D I let the kite fly to the zenith ...
Well bugger me!
Off I go, sailing through the air downwind waggling my toes at the ground. Kite collapses above me and so begins an entertaining 5 minutes of groundhandling tests :D managed to loop the tip through the bridle at one point but also managed to untangle it. Really wants to overfly the window and collapse; gotta work the brakes hard. Decided I'd be better off on the water ... if I could keep my feet on the ground!
... grabbed the Flydoor and hit the water. Ok Armin, where are you hiding the Massey Ferguson in all that white cloth? Chug chug chug I got hauled along by the tractor in the sky despite the wind being so low ... I almost felt guilty - I shouldn't have been riding! Again I had the bizarre experience of watching kites fall out of the sky and 50kg riders having to walk and I'm working hard to keep an edge against the power and am hauling ass upwind :o
Point board, hips, knees, toes, anything else I can, upwind hard, straight out to "my" zone, about 100m from the beach. Thought I'd play silly buggers and sent the kite up to 12 hard and jumped :D oops I got yanked off the board and went soaring! Body dragged nicely well upwind to the board.
Wind kept dropping and finally I had to admit defeat and walk about 50m up the beach - wind was probably 6 knots, no white caps or waves and the flag was limp. I kept an eye on the horizon as another front made its way in ...
Jumped back in the water when that front arrived a few minutes later and now I'm thinking 15 knots or maybe a little more. Would've been "meh" on the 'bow but I'm cooking on the Silberpreil! Have another good 1/2 hour play time, have to watch the gusts cos they're trying to send me skyward. Again I'm having to do strange things to go downwind back to the beach - at one point, I just stood bolt-upright on the board and let the kite pull me downwind (slightly!) like I was riding a travelator :D load'n'pop was easy and when moving the Silberpreil wasn't so inclined to collapse. Vigorous sending induced long floaty hang times ...
Thought it was going to rain so made a dash for the shore. Stood around for a bit trying to figure out how to land without FDS then noticed Miyachi so called for a landing - good man! I think I've got him trained on foils :D he grabbed the tip then pushed it to the ground, I joggled over and sanded the tip ...
What a kick-ass kite! Light wind session are saved - roll on next summer! Only an hour or maybe 75 minutes, but half of that was saved by the Silberpreil!
What I learned today ...
• Be heavy on the brakes on the land and don't piss around. Get into the water ASAP.
• Actually likes more brake input when flying.
• Tough workout for the arms but is easy to work. If you have to work it, the wind is TOO light! Park it baby yeah!
• Easier to roll the tips downwind to the center ... rolling into the wind is tough.
* all comparitive statement are relative to my ol' Speed 1.5 17m
No comments:
Post a Comment