Update week 23

Mahalo,
it was fully week of sports, surprises, tests, crashes
and historic feels. Lets go step by step whats happened.

First of all I get chance to go on water with modification
foils on my Moth sailboat. See the blog here
On local Bled lake the conditions was nothing special,
but enough to get the Moth on the foils. Conclusion
is simply, the modification works well, before I was
not able to get up in low wind or with such a small
speed. Everything OK.
Later on week the forecast was better for Bohinj lake,
so I was there, looking for a nice session. But, mr. Murphy
was on work, First I was cut the trampoline, where is attach
to the boat, OK bad luck I say and go for new track.
But on some crash from foiling I was swim around
boat, I see the main foil broken, o holy s*! Only chance was
to sail direct to start point and the session was ended!

Here we have the broken main foil

Not really happy!

Angeled for couple degrees, with destroyed inside structure.
At the moment I am taking decision to make repair or go
for new design, h'mmmm????
And broken tramp, well or I am too hawy or the tramp mesh was old!

On Friday I have chance to go on Lago di Croche "I" for the second
test on Stelth race board. The results will be summarized and publish
here in short. The board get some modifications on and for first info
the max speed at the wind of max 12-14knot was 26knot. Not bad!

Follow this space for future info!

Today we have in town the meeting of Old-Bikes, I mean really old.
Ota my daughter ask me to go together and we go. I was ride the bike
from my grand father the German Wulcan from 1930 which I owned.
Ota was on the bike from 1960. Great party to meet so many bikers
with history behind!

Here we go Ota and dr.Lojz

I was able to have chance for a "test run" on oldest replica bike this day!
Only one to say crazy feeling to be part of history!

Wood wheels, steel rings and wooden seat, direct transmission and
HARD servo steering, bombastic!
More pictures on PicasaWebAlbum

Stelth_race_KB_update

Mahalo

As this Blog was created, with Stealth_race_KB was achieved the

goal given. The concept kite race board triggered a lot of dust on

kite forums all around globe. At the

http://www.kiteforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2364658&start=0

thy made more tthen 1100 reads and counting in 3 days!

Thanks for all supporters on this idea of the board. I know

I am on right way, there is no compromise!

The board is at the moment on final tuning of the straps and fins

positions, looking forward to be for the coming weekend

ready on the water. So far so good!

Looks like if the interest for the board will grow up with

such a tendency, then some number of the boards will

be produced out of negative molds, the question is just to 

set up enough orders to get good calc out!

Follow this space for more information's coming on!

dr.lojz

Stelth_race_KB_1stTest

Mahalo,
Lucky with the finished board the Poseidon cooperate too,
thanks to him, I was able to made weary first
run on the water. With the support of my friend Jani, the
destination was clear, go to coast!
I don't have any idea what will happened, the idea and
the galactic flow was too big over the development
time. One was clear, once we are 100% focused to the
final point the result come on suddenly.
In Grado North Italy the S wind was 8-12knots and it
was promising for fist attempt.

The Stealth kite race work as was predicted without any troubles on
the edge/classic kite style/ Fins are holding like a hell, but wait,
when you press the board flat on the water, "stealth" effect come on.
The board accelerate as a sports car, there is no comparison to
the "normal kite" board. I am talking from my 12 years guru status
in the sport, from early beginigs. The board was justified expectations
and the final trim on the straps and fins will be done in the future.
I hope I will in short get the Gps to be more precise on the
physical data, for me this is the most important point, just in front of
personal opinion and 3D design!

In any case we was enjoy nice sunny day, good wind for such a riding
style and perfect day.
See you on the water!

Stelth_race_KB_finished

Mahalo,
it is so far, the board is finished. At the end the right
description for the board could to be the concept kite race
board. The time will show on the right direction of the concept.
Some qiuck facts of the board, 1750mm long 500mm wide,
board alone on the scale 4,9kg, but unbreakable! From my
know-how some of weight can be taken off from the 
original layout. It is not exempt chance to go in direction 
of negative molds, lets see what the time will show on.


Here the are, her majesty the Stelth race in life. For all those
who not believe and comp renderings are not enough.

The board here is without pads, will be added later on request and ready for
some serious tests on the water. 
See you in 10knots with full speed, upwind! Can't wait!

Infusion composite

Mahalo,
lets go step by step on technological procedure on the new race board
designed on my side. True weary complex construction of outside
fins on this board the end decision was to use the infusion technology
to get the ruff plate of GFK. The simply mold of Styrofoam was made
and in next steps the 12lyers of glass-fiber was lay down on the
positive mold surface. Vacuum bag all around with inlay tube for
epoxy, on the other side the air out. Less then 1h the resin was come
true all the laminates. Slow flow of the resin true the 7mm of glass fibre.

Front view of the fins block material

And once again the flow of the resin true the GFK, like a miracle!
The middle fin material was prepared on the same technology,
only the "mold" was plain table!

It was quite hard work afterward to get the fins in right shape,
but they are looks great when are mounted on the board.

Stelth_race_KB

Mahalo,

the new race board go step by step to the direction of masterpiece.

With the help of Aeroprodukt company we successful make fist

step of lamination. The board get the shape of itself.

I was  looking to get better contrast on the veneer wood straps,

but the middle pieces come almost black out, that's life,

design vision and technology.

The reinforcement for the side fins and the inserts:

The veneer sheet ready to go, middle Macassar Ebony straps and outside the Koto veneer.

Here it is, the master piece done at the fist stage!

I am looking forward to have the board finished ASAP, the season is almost starting.

The middle fin was injected with infusion technology today successful and will

be fun in next days to infuse the side fins with there "strange" shape!

Lets go to work!

Kite Race Board

Mahalo, well long time from the last post I write, there was a lot going on!
Not I am lazy to write, but just no time to seat down and type on.

In last 3 years there is a lot going on on the kiterace community. I was always more on this side of kiting, mean low wind and pure technical sailing. Going fist on the water, or be the last one on the water is special feeling! I like it, you can believe me;-) In the last decade the kite community was not really focused into low wind kiting and this is changing. The group from SF sailing club was push from year to year the whole series of kite race, this was move the group of kiters out of hardcore freestyle to the course race. I like it! For me interesting are the boards and technique of riding. If I am looking back and compare today boards for race they look like the board I made in 2000!

Here they are the race boards of today! Huge planks with even bigger fins, interesting enough to jump into and prepare my own design. One weary important point on the low wind and also on course kiting is perfect planing of the board and good hold of the fins. As everybody wish no sniping please. The board is "classical" shaped, the widths point is moved back from the middle, quite square tail and "big nose. Almost 1/2 of the rocker line must to be flat. This make the board good planing and speed. The rails are on front round and completely sharp /90deg/ from middle to tail! I decide to go with the top surface in 3D to get more ridged construction with less weight. On the tail I need flat zone to mount the fins on! The design of the board looks like this: Looks relay unofficial in CFK look with 3D top and veneer strap in the middle, even more difficult to understand are the side fins. But wait they are there for a reason. The middle fin will keep the position lite it is "state of the art" on the boards, the front fins are moved out of the board to be in clear waterfowl to get as much as possible track and force out of it. The end decision was done after all the analysis and comparison measurements. The fins shape are up to date the best of Aero and hydrodynamical calculations and yes they looks like fish fins, surprised, me not!
Bottom flat part of the board! And for the end the whole shape in one top view! I was not mention before, the whole board and everything else is drawn into CAD parametrically, used the latest SW technology and calculations. The core of the board was milled out of foam core with CNC machine, on this point is no comparison any more with hand work and precision! The decision was right! The board will be laminated in the rocker table in next days, so keep this space for future news! Then on the water to push this stick to the limit! Looking forward and I will be back!