Kite sailing boat...thoughts?

[Phil]

I think this is kind of a cool idea. Maybe because I suck at kite boarding and would like to get better at it some day, but it's a cool concept regardless.

Ice Kite superyacht project to harness latest kite sail technology

Blurring the line between sailing and motoring, this impossibly sleek 64m superyacht combines Dutch naval architecture with Turkish design

www.yachtingworld.com

 

[dlochner]

Won't the kite interfere with the helicopter landing pad?

 

[DArcy]

I'd like to see the engineering behind the kite deployment and retrieval system. I wonder what happens when the wind picks up suddenly or when it drops right off. 160 m² of wet kite to haul out of the ocean would be an interesting challenge.
And what is with a reputable web site/magazine not using superscript for the squared symbol, it's not that hard. The internet is making people lazy, even the "editors". Geez, I'm starting to sound like a crotchety old man.

 

[Lazy1]

Looks like a military ship. They would probably just detach when they were done with it

 

[HobieDog]

I remember hearing about the kites used on freighters years ago. Seems like they still haven’t really...taken off... Too bad because it definitely has some merit.

GE to Cargo Shipping Industry: Go Fly a Kite

www.fastcompany.com

There’s a very accomplished kiter in RI who rigged up his kite to a Hobie 16. I never saw him use it on the water, but it sounded like a fun project.