Heres one for any of you Auckland kiters who want to try out the best speed spot on your doorstep.... from a kiter who is still addicted to the buzz of windsurfing at breakneck speed....

Friday the 26th... Lynfield on the Manukau harbour..( the spot you all like to bag)

tracked with gps Max speed 43 knots
Best 10 second run (200m approx at 40k) 42 knots

In perfect flat water conditions... once you crossed the channel in 40 knots of wind..... ran 8 runs over 40 knots!!!!!!

Be great to see a few more people Windsurfing / Kiting over here on the dark side.....

Chris

Hi Chris

The current world speed record is 40 Knots and 41 Knots for Windsurfing!! ..

I posted a article on the recent world speed record a few days ago.

The wind was pumping on Friday.. :shock:

" kiters addicted to windsurfing at break neck speed " ????

So was that windsurfing as in polesurfing ?

So lets see, you are suggesting we all go to your spot with a windsurfer, a GPS,& then claim to be doing 42 kts for 200 meters???

I think I'll skip that & just go kiting....

Bust loose & boost - Skyrider

Madness... the kite speed is now 41 knots I think.... but the windsurfers have cranked 46.8 over a 500 metre course with a max speed of 49.3 knots!

Skyrider... no suggestion that you should give up kiting... my comment was purely that if any kiter is looking for a spot to push the limits of top end speed... the manukau is the place to go! ..... Personally I enjoy kiting for the absolute freedom..... and windsufing for the adrenalin rush of top end speed ... something you may never experience! and this 'claim' is backed up by recorded tracklogs.... if you are interested in the 'facts' check out the website....
www.gps-speedsurfing.com/gps.asp

The kite surfing world speed record is 41.67 Knots - cracked in Namibia last month. Thats the official record.

I had a look at the link you added.

The wind surfing records are not official on that site.
A jump from 41 Knots to 48 Knots is a very big jump.
Interesting site though. Seems like quite a few guys are now clocking up times on GPS. I know Perrin uses his one quite often when doing land sailing down at Murawi.

CT Chris :

Touche mon ami.... " something you will never experience "

You cut me deep. Facts & GPS gadgets huh, how very impressive.

I have often thought the speed windwakker types were a very similar breed to the sports car enthusiast.... So intent upon proving themselves to be superior whilst hoping that certain other inadequacies may not become apparent.

Madness ... the kites are ripping alright... check out this link
www.mastersofspeed.com/
for the official world yachting speed record ... taken back by windsurfers from Yellow pages with a 46.82 knot average over a 500 metre track.... this is not a gps contest its a sanctioned event with observers ... and video timeing ... and will give the kites another benchmark to chase!

Skyrider ....without getting into a pointless and prolonged argument over nothing.... it puzzles me why a small minority of kiters find it necessary to bag another sport simply because we dare to share a common interest in getting out and ripping it up on the water!

Speedsailing in any form is often the catalyst for development of better gear for all..... despite your perhaps narrow viewpoint on the subject!

Hey CT where abouts is Lynnfield? Whereever it is though you are right. The Manukau Harbour rocks. There are epic beaches there that not many guys here have even heard of. A few of the ESSK boys have found this freaken wicked spot there.

Thrasher....The channel runs from Blockhouse bay yacht club in a line to Mt Mangere....and works on the bottom 4 hours of the tide.. check it out at low tide first so you know where the gnarly bits are!!
launching a windsurfer from either under the clubhouse or Faulkner bay with a couple of upwinders to get into the channel
Its a bit harder to get out with a kite but I have launched from both Green bay and blockhouse bay.... would pay to have someone around to launch as Green bay backs onto a cliff... the whole west side of the Manukau works well on a SW sea breeze
Have done a downwinder on the kite from Cornwallis to Mangere boat ramp ... about 18 to 20 kilometers....as the crow flies ... a great way to see the harbour when there is no wind around the rest of Auckland... as long as you have a ride home!