how fast have you been on the water

[plummet]

as the title says. whose slapped on a gps and gone for it?

i'm interest in flat water speed obviously but also interested to know the speeds you guys are hitting in the open ocean with chop and swell.

i've only had the gps on once underpowered 14 knots in direct onshore chop. so not a very good indicator. in that instance i only managed 33kph. thats pretty sad. i'm sure i could double it in flat water.

[koma]

I've raced friends in cars along the foreshore at Altona where there's a 50k/hr speed limit and maanged to pull ahead and stay ahead of them for the entire distance... so i'd guesstimate that i've managed to hold ~50-52k/hr over the ~1km length. I have been faster than that though... on a downwinder at Sandy Point in '08 i think it was (maybe '09), but i didn't have a GPS on me so couldn't tell you and exact number.

I'll have to see if i can borrow SB's GPS for a spin when he's worn himself out.

[SoutherlyBuster]

Oh goodie, Plummet has laid down the challenge. Out with the log books and check what speeds I got up to on the water ....

• 
  20 Dec 2009 Synergy 8m^2 12-19 knots, GPS 41 km/hr
  25 Dec 2009 Venom II 13m^2 GPS 38.8km/hr
  26 Dec 2009 Venom II 13m^2 17-19 knots, GPS 43.1 km/hr
  2 Jan 2010 Venom II 13m^2 GPS 41.3 km/hr
  9 Jan 2010 Synergy 8m^2 GPS 39.5 km/hr
  23 Jan 2010 Synergy 8m^2 GPS 44 km/hr (have photographic evidence, would have to dig up the pics)
  12 Feb 2010 Venom II 13m^2 GPS 25 km/hr
  13 Feb 2010 Venom II 13m^2 GPS 39.2 km/hr
  21 Feb 2010 Venom II 13m^2 GPS 40.3 km/hr
  19 March 2010 Venom II 13m^2 GPS 41.5 km/hr
  21 March 2010 Venom II 13m^2 GPS 34.2 km/hr
  2 April 2010 Venom II 13m^2 GPS 42.9
  

So it's 44 km/hr max speed, Synergy 8m^2, Cardboard Board.

This has all been at Altona Beach which can have any thing from butter smooth flat water to choppy as hell. On the speed runs I like to have straps that I can rely on, on tight and hard, don't want to come off at speed with one foot in and the other dangling

No worries Koma, you can give my GPS and water tight arm pack a go if you like.

Regards,

Norman.

[plummet]

12 to 19 knots on a 8m synergy? i wouldn't have thought yourd get that whippet out until well over 25 knots on the water?

another month before the fast comes of then i'll be strapping the gps on for more speed action.

got the kite for it. 11m edge. apparently one of the nz guys has done 84kph on one in 25 knots!!

eek. we will see how big my cajonees are in a month or 2.

ps what usually stuffs me at speed is not a foot fall out but my arse or legs hitting the chop cause i'm leaning back so far. then i loose the edge and its one big splash down from there.

[koma]

ps what usually stuffs me at speed is not a foot fall out but my arse or legs hitting the chop cause i'm leaning back so far. then i loose the edge and its one big splash down from there.

Oh if you want speed then you've gotta find a nice smooth stretch of water. No point attempting to get top speeds over or through chop as it'll just slow you down. The stretch that SB and i are referring to is about 700m long and with the tide at the right height has no more than about 30-40mm worth of ripples or waves on it. Also, you'll find that if your resisting THAT much power that your cranked over to the point of your ass hitting chop then your not going as fast as you could be. After talking with a few wise people (you know who you are ) it appears that you'll only get real speed if your not throwing up much water and you definitely can't lean back more than 45--55 degrees. Watch a couple of the Luderitz Challenge video's if you want to see the technique they use for speed boards. They also mostly use seat harnesses to hold down more power.

My main limitation for speed at the moment is board size. My 134x42 is just too big when i really start to pick up any decent speed... which i'd guess is anything over about 40km/h. The proper speed guys run very thin boards almost the width of a single wide waterski. I might see how fast i can go if i get myself a smaller high wind board for next summer. I reckon i could top 60km/hr without much trouble in the right conditions.

[SoutherlyBuster]

Plummet, I know what you mean with the legs/rear getting in the road, when the chop hits some part of my leg it slows me down just a bit but not enough to pull me off the board. I only get the rear touching the water when the waves/chop is too big, and when this happens it's usually not flat enough for a speed run at any rate. If I do come off, I just hold the board up in the air (feet still attached) and bounce away on my back, then chuck the board back in and keep going.

I had some higher wind speed days than I posted above but unfortunately either did not have the GPS attached or ran out of juice in the batteries.

As Tony once said, when you think you are going slow you are actually going faster and when you think you going fast you are actually going slower. So a jump from 40km to 60km, hmmmmm that's a big speed jump .... let's see what the GPS says.

Taking out the wippet in 12-19 knots, well it's a new toy so couldn't resist.

Norman.

[koma]

I had some higher wind speed days than I posted above but unfortunately either did not have the GPS attached or ran out of juice in the batteries.

As Tony once said, when you think you are going slow you are actually going faster and when you think you going fast you are actually going slower. So a jump from 40km to 60km, hmmmmm that's a big speed jump .... let's see what the GPS says.

Taking out the wippet in 12-19 knots, well it's a new toy so couldn't resist.

Norman.

Well the wind is forecast to be cranking on Sunday. You up for a water speed session?

[RALKITE]

You all need to stop talking girly speed talk.

real men talk Knots.

I have played with my kites during speed runs at Sandy Point in between Sailboard speed runs. with my Gps.

Over a period of time and using 3 different boards all production Twin tips, I have found 31Kts quite doable.

the jump to 33kts feels like twice the speed but is the noticeable limit of production twin tips.

The rocker, fins and strap position are working against you at this point.

Now GPS's will give you the odd max speed that may be higher but you have to put the results through a program to filter out these spikes.

Just looking down and reading that on that last run your max was X is exciting but be careful of claiming it.

I once looked down to see a 110kts max, on the computer it showed that I was traveling down the speed run then miraculously turned right went 100m across the dunes and returned at the exact spot i turned at, then kept going down the course.

Anyways, if you want to go past 31kts and be believed then a dedicated speed board should be on your shopping list.

[koma]

Hmm... so you reckon 57.412km/h (31 knots) is about the limit?

Challenge accepted.

[SoutherlyBuster]

Well the wind is forecast to be cranking on Sunday. You up for a water speed session?

Oh ya. Bring it on.

[plummet]

57kph i call boolarks to that i'll also beat it.

challenge accepted.

yeah i know you need flat water for speed. however the nearest flat water is 3 hours away.

so speed through the chop will also be tested.

ral. sorry you can stick your knots/hr in your colon! i'll be thinking in kph or perhaps mph.

[RALKITE]

Hmm... so you reckon 57.412km/h (31 knots) is about the limit?

Challenge accepted.

I said 31kts is quite doable, and by that I mean a claimable average of 250 meters.

33kts is my best recorded on that basis, and that was battling fin drag edge drag, and porpoising due to rocker and strap placement.

You also need to be running at least 110 degrees off the wind.

I might come down Sunday to Altona and watch.

[koma]

You also need to be running at least 110 degrees off the wind.

I might come down Sunday to Altona and watch.

Yep, that's about the angle i found to be the fastest. I've spent a bit of time testing the best angle and technique for accelerating to top speed and have found a very slow roll from having the board at about 10º back to about 35-40º whilst trying to keep your weight loading between 55/45 (rear/front) to start off with and moving towards a 70/30 as the speed increases and the load starts to build. I seem to hit max speed when i'm between 95-100 degrees off-wind and pushing harder to hold more ground just increases the spray and slows you down.

Bah, forecast for Sunday has changed again! The text forecast for Port Phillip is still claiming 15-25kn SE though.

[Dundee]

what about this. is this tru. they say hes travaling at 62knots. over 100kph...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2tNH4w4 ... r_embedded

[koma]

what about this. is this tru. they say hes travaling at 62knots. over 100kph...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2tNH4w4 ... r_embedded

500m average of 53 knots. Yep that's right. He's on a very VERY specialist speed board, and he is as Luderitz.

The peak speeds are generally ignored due to the potential spikes and required smoothing of readings as Tony mentioned before.

[sir lancelot]

I've raced friends in cars along the foreshore at Altona where there's a 50k/hr speed limit and maanged to pull ahead and stay ahead of them for the entire distance...

I think i managed something similar, albeit along a shorter length, that was on a 10m C-kite. No idea what speed, but it's about as quick as I've managed

When you guys are talking about "90-110 degrees off-wind", where is 0 degrees? Downwind? So anything greater than 90degrees is upwind?

[plummet]

fixed bridle has now depower. no bar in or out for more or less power. just full power all the time. don't get one of those for a landboard. depower foil is what you want. particularily if you are already used to depower lei's.

[plummet]

oops wrong thread.

any way my gps is just a basic speedo type with max, ave, current, distance.

so no computer analysis for me. anything i post up will be unofficial.

[koma]

When you guys are talking about "90-110 degrees off-wind", where is 0 degrees? Downwind? So anything greater than 90degrees is upwind?

0 degrees is directly upwind. 90 degrees is directly across wind.

Less than 90 degrees is upwind, more than 90 degrees is downwind.

What we're saying is that you'll go your fastest whilst bearing off slightly downwind.

[sir lancelot]

0 degrees is directly upwind. 90 degrees is directly across wind.

Less than 90 degrees is upwind, more than 90 degrees is downwind.

What we're saying is that you'll go your fastest whilst bearing off slightly downwind.

Oh right, that's really obvious now. Don't know why i couldn't figure that out last night, must have been really tired.

[RALKITE]

Oh right, that's really obvious now. Don't know why i couldn't figure that out last night, must have been really tired.

That's OK we believe you were just 'Tired'.

[SoutherlyBuster]

I think for this week end it will degenerate to a light wind challenge, forecast for 12 knots . Time to get out my super flat finless board.

[sir lancelot]

That's OK we believe you were just 'Tired'.

Very good, I'd expect no less than complete understanding and unconditional acceptance from the XK community .

I think for this week end it will degenerate to a light wind challenge, forecast for 12 knots . Time to get out my super flat finless board.

I'm REALLY hoping that's not the case. REALLY hoping.

[koma]

I think for this week end it will degenerate to a light wind challenge, forecast for 12 knots . Time to get out my super flat finless board.

You seen the forecast for tomorrow? 25-30kn, or at least definitely 20-25kn!

I'll be at Altona from about 12 onwards probably.

[SoutherlyBuster]

Ahh the wind Gods are shining again. Will be time to bring out the little Wipet as Plummet calls it, I call it the Terrier, my 8m^2 Synergy.

See you then guys.

Norman.