The latest 'project'

Originally posted by iGRF Woke up this morning with a Eureka moment, think I may have an idea to make my symmetric kite work asymmetrically on either tack. So, what about this.. Top of the kite on a batten track (batten and a bit of line through the pulley) when you sheet it the kite pulls to one end of the track, leaving the new trailing edge supported by the batten, which then twists off to leeward. Simples. Save your applause for later, just for now tell me why it won't work.

I think I see what he means - if I'm right the top of the kite is squared off with a batten in, and there's a line from each end of the batten, and the halyard rides on the line. If the line is taut enough the halyard will run to the windward corner of the square top, leaving the leeward corner floating.

*If* I'm right I can see how it will give a degree of asymmetry to the sail head, but I'm having trouble seeing why it should set better. Bearing in mind the problem with kites running deep is that the top is excessively twisted off against the clew I'm not sure its an advantage.

The other thing that confuses me is that you seem to be regarding one of the biggest advantages of the sprit kite - that you gybe it like a jib with two of the corners firmly located - as being a disadvantage. One of the worst things about gybing a pole kite is that the thing is so unconstrained in mid gybe. With a sprit kite setup you can handle a far bigger kite simply because the thing is so better disciplined.

The other thing you need to consider is that unless your sprit/whatever is cocked up in the air at some ludicrous angle then the clew will be somewhere about the waterline when the kite is sheeted correctly on a reach - unless of course you have some stupidly short pole like too many of the pole kite dinosaurs.

Edited by JimC - 07 Nov 13 at 2:27pm

I'm useless at these electronic drawing programmes and I've lost my iPad stylus thing, but I can see an illustration would paint a thousand words, so I will try later..

Originally posted by Rupert With a small kite, the act of bearing away usually seems to be enough to take most of the pressure off as it passes round the forestay. It is certainly possible to gybe an assy where it fills nicely with a pop as soon as it is round. I think I'd we working on a kite shape that can reach well, and then pop round onto a goosewing for short runs with a whisker pole system that doesn't involve any aiming of hooks. Problem is that the jib stick system that the Icon currently has couldn't be fitted onto a kite that has to gybe round a forestay, as far as I can see. Otherwise, it would work both to windward and to leeward on a flat cut kite.

Why's that rupert? Does it not already goosewing the jib? Surely if it were a tad longer it could equally goose wing a kite?

Another idea.........a sodding great big genoa with a reduction on the sheet and a tricky little line running forward to pull it round the mast and a furler. Then an equally sodding great symetric, as 505 on a twin pole system, as Mer**n Ro**et.