Just wondering.I dont know much about Kitesurfing.I went out testriding my new board with a pile of them last week & I was suprised when my board blitzed one of them ( speedwise).I was the only sailboarder. Are they slower or was it just a poor sailor I passed? It was about 20 -25kts closereach/upwind.. Also can they quickrelease or depower quickly from their kit if a massive gust comes through?
There is a reason why a kiter holds the world speed sailing record
They are bloody quick when they want to be and in the right conditions.
Yes but in general, most kitesurfers are not on speed gear and not competing at speed contests etc. They are on general purpose gear and that is significantly slower than windsurfing gear.
Generally windsurfers are way faster that kites.
but still, I have had some races with kiting friends who are on their freestyle gear and I was on a a freeride board with a wave sail. and when we both pushed it we are about the same speed
the advantage kiters have over windsurfers when it comes to speed is that they can sail across water only an inch deep.... that would be a difference wouldn't it??? or am i just talking smack?
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About "range"...I think what is meant is, if a kitesurfer is at the pub, cruising for a root, and there are no females available, his "range" will give him more options , whereas for a windsurfer it's off home to spank the monkey...
Regularly "sail" with some kiters. They can stay close in wind up to about 20 knots on standard gear ( and beat me under 15 knots) but struggle with breaking their fin traction when going for max speed in a race. After that speed with us on freeride gear and I presume they on similar gear, sailboarders seem to pull away.
Got no idea but just my observation.
Normally they'll take shorter tacks and point higher (while going slower).
This means they get more waves 
But we're usually significantly faster 
While you can probably plane on a waveboard in around 12 knots with a 5m and hold that same sail in 35 knot gusts sometimes its just easier/safer to park on the beach and wait for the squall to go through. Maybe fractionally less easy/safe for the kiter. He/she is probably slightly safer away from any hard surfaces or pointy objects.
In my neck of the woods where it rough when windy they don't have a hope in hell keeping up. The only time they're as fast or even faster is right off the wind, the problem for them then is they're not edging anymore so the board is level and because the boards are so short they have a hell of a time controlling it. It's then only a matter of time before they go bum up in very spectacular fashion. I love going side by side off the wind with them and waiting for the summersalts [}:)]
There are only a couple with the balls to do it when the winds right up, they're mates and it's all fun
In my experience I have never been beaten by a kitesurfer when I'm going gangbusters. Although I always sail on choppy water, and I think kites have problems going fast through chop.
Excuse my ignorance but watching kite guys going quick it never ceases to amaze me how they get such quick speeds when it looks like they are continously "edging" or not keeping their boards flat and bearing off deep like us windsurfers.
Even watching Rob Douglas doing his record runs I still dont get it.
After seeing quick guys like Daffy, Sam P, Dan Engdahl and some bloke called Chris L? sailing down the run at the Pit the efficiency of a speed board and race/speed sail is obvious.
Please explain??
Sail board is using fin for lateral resistance, so board has to stay flat for max efficiency. But Kites use their rails not so much the fins, to use the rails the boards have to be "edged", this saves them from the ventilation and cavitation problems windsurfers have at speed.
kites don't point as good and you can point higher going slower. The sensation of speed is still there if you want it, and you can go fast, but then you're not really in trick mode. personally slalom windsurfing or kitesurfing for speed bores me to tears.
