Kite for Motor Yacht

DArcy

DArcy

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Feb 11, 2017
1,742
Islander Freeport 36 Ottawa
We should all get one of these kites.. "It generates 10 times more power per square foot than a conventional sail." Nice glossy magazine statement :cool:
robbreport.com

A Giant Kite Sail Injects This 60-Foot Motoryacht With an Extra Dose of Emissions-Free Speed

The 130-sq. foot Wingit kite allows for zero-emission yachting, and generates 10 times more power per square foot than a conventional sail.
robbreport.com robbreport.com

At least the manufacturer's site states "UP TO 10 x MORE POWER PER m² COMPARED TO A CONVENTIONAL SAIL" including the marketing get out of jail free "UP TO".
www.silent-yachts.com

SILENT 60

SILENT 60 17.99 mLength (59.0 feet)17 kWpSolar Power Generation 8.99 mBeam (29.5 feet)29 tLight Displacement 0.93 mDraft (3.0 feet)CE -
www.silent-yachts.com www.silent-yachts.com

 
Captain Larry-DH

Captain Larry-DH

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Jun 14, 2010
2,226
Robertson & Caine 2017 Leopard 40 CT
Ahh the joy of sailing -- judging by sea state in the image, I'd guess that's in 25+ knots.
 
jon hansen

jon hansen

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May 25, 2012
4,338
john alden caravelle 42 sturgeon bay, wis
my 1 1/2 oz spinnaker on aeolus has been flown in winds up to 35ish knots appr. wind with a race crew aboard. it too pulled a lot more than the "conventional sail". none of my sails are labeled "conventional sail" though.

it does look like fun for that vessel that day. i could have fun on that boat.:cool:
 
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rgranger

rgranger

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Jan 19, 2010
12,546
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
I'd like to see the engineering of the anchor points for that sail....:yikes:

And yes... I too could have fun on that boat...:biggrin:
 
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PaulK

PaulK

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Dec 1, 2009
1,313
Sabre 402 Southport, CT
Looks like it is based on a pontoon boat for a lake. There are handholds...only in the shower. From what is shown there is no way to know if the kite is the only power source being used, or if full ahead emergency power will have drained the batteries in ten minutes. What happens if the wind dies and you run over the kite and lines and they get tangled In the props? 130 square feet looks like window dressing on a 60' houseboat. It's about the same sail area as a Vanguard 15 or Thistle - without the spinnaker. Kitesurfers use bigger kites than this. Can you fly more than one at a time?
 
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M

Mr. Dave

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Oct 10, 2019
114
Signet 20 0 Ithaca
If it's a Photoshop, they did a really good job of it, but I don't see a single person on board, so I remain dubious...
 
Davidasailor26

Davidasailor26

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May 17, 2004
5,439
Beneteau Oceanis 37 Havre de Grace
I don’t hate it. The kite is a novelty, good for just 5 extra knots (in perfect conditions I’m sure), but that aside it looks like any other catamaran motor yacht. The electric motors and big solar panels will probably make some sales, and it’s got a generator so you’re not stuck if it’s not sunny. Not for everyone, but I could see them selling a few.
 
Tom J

Tom J

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Sep 30, 2008
2,309
Catalina 310 Quincy, MA
markwbird said:
Wait until the wind shifts around to the side.
Click to expand
Actually, the kites sail very well when the wind is on the beam. I watch the kite boarders on the North Shore of Maui every day, and they literally scream on a beam reach. They can even tack. The power of these kites is amazing. If I were a lot younger, I'd love to try kite sailing.
 
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DArcy

DArcy

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Feb 11, 2017
1,742
Islander Freeport 36 Ottawa
I actually really like the idea of these boats. I'm sure motor yachts of this size spend the vast majority of their time at a dock because they need to always have AC mains connected. Sure they have generators but they take fuel and maintenance plus make noise. Maybe the massive solar panels will encourage people off the dock and allow them to get to more isolated areas, experience something a little different.
 
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Leeward Rail

Leeward Rail

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Mar 20, 2015
3,177
C&C 30 Mk1 Winnipeg
DArcy said:
Maybe the massive solar panels will encourage people off the dock and allow them to get to more isolated areas, experience something a little different.
Click to expand
Hehe.. selfishly I would prefer that most power and sailboats stay at the dock.and stay away from anywhere I want to go. :waycool:
 
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Leeward Rail

Leeward Rail

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Mar 20, 2015
3,177
C&C 30 Mk1 Winnipeg
Tom J said:
They can even tack. The power of these kites is amazing.
Click to expand
Kite boarders control the kite as opposed to being simply shackled to it.
The boat would need a system to pull on those lines.

Since these kites don't develop drive like a sail, they depend on surface area. A kitesurfer is almost no load at all. While you can get airborne for short periods, the kite cant be so strong during use, as to pull much more than the person's weight + drag from the water surface contact. Otherwise you couldn't control it. so maybe 250 lbs ?
Nothing special about that.
 
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Davidasailor26

Davidasailor26

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May 17, 2004
5,439
Beneteau Oceanis 37 Havre de Grace
From the short bit in the video it looks like the kite is attached to some kind of “smart” pedestal that automatically trims the control lines. The trimming seems to be designed to sail the kite in a constant figure 8 motion, probably so it generates some lift and not just drag. By moving side to side the kite could be kept at an optimal VMG, like a sailboat with an asymmetrical spinnaker gybing downwind.

(Whether or not that pedestal is really as smart as the market it I don’t know, but for more than €2.39M I would hope so.)
 
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Tom J

Tom J

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Sep 30, 2008
2,309
Catalina 310 Quincy, MA
Davidasailor26 said:
From the short bit in the video it looks like the kite is attached to some kind of “smart” pedestal that automatically trims the control lines. The trimming seems to be designed to sail the kite in a constant figure 8 motion, probably so it generates some lift and not just drag. By moving side to side the kite could be kept at an optimal VMG, like a sailboat with an asymmetrical spinnaker gybing downwind.

(Whether or not that pedestal is really as smart as the market it I don’t know, but for more than €2.39M I would hope so.)
Click to expand
Exactly! The article mentions that the kite is controlled by the boat's systems. These kites do not rely on surface area alone to provide thrust. They are inflated, and shaped like a wing. The wind blowing across the kite provides lift, and this lift is transferred through the tow line to the boat or person. The kite is controlled by a series of lines to change or maintain it's attitude to the wind. On a beam reach, the kite is low to the water and provides a lot of thrust in the direction of travel. To lessen or negate this thrust, the kite is flown higher, to a point where it is vertical, and thrust is negligible. To enter the water, a boarder will maintain the kite in a horizontal attitude above him while walking into the water. Then, he will drop his board and step onto it while lowering the kite towards the water. Within seconds, he is skimming across the water, and jumping the surf. I think the figure eight pattern is flown when the boarder is running more down wind.
Anyway, to equate these kites to what we flew as children is leading to a lot of misconceptions about what they can do for a boat.
 
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