The WindFly Rig - Fast and stable kite boats - no heel, no leeway

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Bruce M
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The WindFly Rig - Fast and stable kite boats - no heel, no leeway

Post by Bruce M »

I've just gone live with www.windflyrig.com which describes the ongoing development of a rig to connect a kite (or wing) to a boat so that the drive force always acts directly through the centre of lateral resistance ... so the boat does not heel. The rig can be mounted so that the sideways component of the load is balanced by a combined keel-rudder system ... so no leeway. Information about the concept, theory, prototypes and tests is on the website: comments will be welcomed.

I will welcome anyone who would like to collaborate in the next stage of trials. The trials will take place in the South East of England (probably Whitstable), ideally people will have kitesurfing experience or access to a safety boat. Either way you'll need patience.

I'd be happy to provide an article for Catalyst if the project is of interest.

I look forward to some comments.

Bruce

(I'd like to have inserted a summary sketch, but the system won't let me paste in or attach an image - hopefully readers will look at the website.)

Bruce M
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Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Feb 03, 2017 11:39 am

Re: The WindFly Rig - Fast and stable kite boats - no heel, no leeway

Post by Bruce M »

Thanks for the tip. Hopefully the image will now come through O.K.
2 - Concept.jpg
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2 - Concept.jpg
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The sketch illustrates how the rig is arranged so that the drive force from the kite acts directly through the centre of lateral resistance ... so the boat does not heel. As the kite moves the boom follows the kite with the result that the drive force continues to work through the centre of lateral resistance - that's been tested several times and works well.

The sketch also illustrates the rig mounted above a combined 'keel-rudder' system which balances the sideways component of the wind load ... so no leeway. That has also been tested and proved to work.

Now I need to get tide, wind, safety boat, crew and myself to the beach at the same time for the next set of tests.

Bruce

Robert Biegler
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Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2017 7:54 pm

Re: The WindFly Rig - Fast and stable kite boats - no heel, no leeway

Post by Robert Biegler »

For a few seconds, I thought this was like Ingo Voegler's setup (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruBQ1CM_VUA), but once I read a bit more, I found that you are trying to achieve a whole lot more. I really want to know how it works out, so please do write that article, and make a few videos. I'd offer a chase boat if you were in Trondheim, provided you were content with a really slow chase.

Bruce M
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Joined: Fri Feb 03, 2017 11:39 am

Re: The WindFly Rig - Fast and stable kite boats - no heel, no leeway

Post by Bruce M »

Thanks for the comments - Ingo Voegler's setup is neat, thanks for the link. As you say I'm aiming to do a bit more. Trondheim would be fun for the trials, unfortunately I'll have to stick with the Thames estuary!

Attached is a draft of what could be a catalyst paper (based on material from http://www.WindFlyRig.com). I'd need to cut it down to avoid taking over that edition of catalyst.

Bruce
The WindFly Rig - Summary.pdf
The WindFly Rig - A Summary
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The WindFly Rig - Summary.pdf
The WindFly Rig - A Summary
(841.54 KiB) Downloaded 735 times

Robert Biegler
Committee Member
Posts: 65
Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2017 7:54 pm

Re: The WindFly Rig - Fast and stable kite boats - no heel, no leeway

Post by Robert Biegler »

I have a read a bit more. Your WindFly rig is the most interesting boat-related idea I have seen in a long time. It is original, innovative, small and simple enough that it shouldn't be horrendously expensive, and could be applied to an enormous number of boats: everything that is driven by an outboard now, canoes, dinghies. Seeing that I live where there is rarely enough wind for a kite, I can see a boat with a lug rig on a tabernacle, to be used in light winds. When the wind is consistently enough to fly the kite, take the lug sail down, and the mast, and carry on with the kite. If you want to try this at a small scale, look up the Open Canoe Sailing Group (http://www.ocsg.org.uk/). They are quite open to experimentation, and if you attend their meetings, I expect they would be happy to pull you out of the drink, if needed.

Bruce M
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Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Feb 03, 2017 11:39 am

Re: The WindFly Rig - Fast and stable kite boats - no heel, no leeway

Post by Bruce M »

Thank you for the positive comments! The combination with a light wind option of a lug rig on a tabernacle is an interesting idea. I will follow up with the Open Canoe Sailing Group, they look like an interesting bunch.

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