Date: Mon, 11 Sep 1995 21:19:36 -1000 From: Stein Hjelland Message-Id: <433ca8$sp7@troll.vestnett.no> Organization: ProVolo Subject: Wipicat, sailing & kayak (long) >From the interest in traction kiting, boats and the WIPICAT in particular over the last weeks, I have compiled these two articles with a few remarks of my own, and the vendors "technical notes". The kite is fun and colourful and the fact that its designers are not kiters but sailers yield many smart solutions not obvious to a kiter, but lack other kite.invented patents. The oddity to turn left when you pull right is unnatural to a kiter, and I think the kite would have performed far better had it been developed together with kiters. But odd and sluggish, it offers watertight inflateable spars for offshore kiteing and is both easy and fun. These are from the the vendors notes: Wipicat is above all, a different approach to sailing, founding on simplicity. It fills the gap which exist today between funboard too elitist and sea-side gadgets which dont offer a real escapism. Wipicat is pleasent, simple, light and original.... Fitted with an inflatable framework, the wing is in submersible and will leap from the water easily. The handles direct the kite precisely without the need of rudder. It will sail in normal and average winds: 5 to 25 knots. The catamaran can also be used with paddles (included) The catamaran is 3,2 m long 0,68m wide and weigh 7 kg. The wing have surface and weigh 0,6 kg. ------------- The first article is from Praktisk Smabatsliv, by Orjan Takle (to be published next week) >From France arrives a newlyborn within watersports. The mainpart is a clone between a paraglider, a kite and a sail. Along with an inflateable catamaran-like boat this makes tha WIPICAT (WInd Propelled Inflateable CATamaran.) The equipment is easily stowed away in a bag 60*32*32 cm. It weighs 10 kg and is therefore easily portable. From the bag, the WIPICAT will fly in just 10-15 mins, and have reached speeds of 15 knots. With the tested equipment came a video that showed the sail in use with the catamaran, a kayak-like boat with foils, rollerscate, buggy and waterski. The sail can easily be imagined used with skis og ice-scates in the winter. A similar but larger sail have brought a 24 foot sailing boat across the Atlantic as the only rig. Perhaps the WIPICAT is fit aboard sailingboats as security equipment? Personally we preferred the sail with a kayak. The sail can be set without a traditional rig. In the sail itself runs inflateable rigs spreading the sail. This yields low weight, and allows for water launching. Other kites (foils) would be filled with water and hard to launch after a landing in the wet element. The sail is easy to use, even for novices within kiteing. Nevertheless it is adviceable to try out the equipment on land before launching it from a boat. You set the sail with two lines. Inside the lines runs another line in a hose, and these decide the direction. It you pull the left line, the kite will dive to the right, and vice versa. If you release both lines, the kite will quietly climb to the top of the window. It reacts rapidly to your maneuvers (rem:well, not as opposed to kites.) and can quicly turn 180 deg. to perform as an effective brake. Both lines is controlled by only one hand. You attach the kite to a harness suspending the pull from your arms. One line have a quick release to enable yu to stop over daringly races. The sail need about 4m/s to take off, and is recommended for use between 4 and 12 m/s. The sail scud and performs very well upto 60deg upwind. The catamaran is shaped much like a snowscooter, on three seperate air chambers. You sit or lie on the vessel. It is thypical watersport equipment as you use it in or close to the water. You must dress as if you vere windsurfing in dry or wetsuit exect for short trips in warm waters. The catamaran did not fall in our taste. Perhaps it came to close to other inflateable toys on the beach. In southern waters with higher temperatures, I think it will have a bigger market. It works however fine with the sail, and is very convincigly made with advanced valves to utilize inflateing. The sail was the most interesting for us, so we tried out som new purposes. In a cano with two adults we achieved an impressing speed. The contraption worked easily with the other person minding the rudder. The flatbottomed cano would not easily sail upwind, and need a keel. The kayak was far mor stabile and was easily maneuvred with a rudder. None of the boats offered much resistance in the water, so in low winds the boat would tend to move faster than the sail, causing it to lose the pull and land. We spent much time trying to get the kite launched from the water. (rem: had the boat scudded more this might not have happened, but again the wind was too low.) In strong wind the whole thing went faster than we felt we could manage, yhough it was a wonderful feeling to cruise over the waves in 10 knots. With training we are convinced the combination would be far better. And which sailingboat/rig make experienced sailors after three or four trips? -------------- The next article is from KiteLine spring/summer 1994 When Kiting meets sailing Among the kites made for traction over the past few years, have any been specifically designed for use over water? Bruno and Dominique Legaignoux, two young French sailors and inventors, have come up with a safe and reliable sailing kite, very easy to relaunch without assistance even after it has fallen in the water. Since their first prototypes, which were actually developed for water-skiing, and reached the size of 20 sqm, nine years of quiet research and development elapsed, It was only last summer (93) that the Legaignoux brothers began production. They are now looking for partner companies to help in distribution on a larger scale. Although it can suit other boats and already has been adopted by dozens of kayakers this innovative kite is normally meant to be used with a 3.2 meter long inflatable catamaran purposely designed by the two brothers. This kite propelled catamaran known as WIPICAT (Wind Propelled Inflatable CATamaran) has all the features to make it popular beach sport. It is easy to handle, and it is extremely safe for the user aswell as for nearby swimmers because neither the boat nor the kite can sink or hurt thanks to their inflatable structures. Furthermore the boat, the kite and all their accessories can fit into a small bag, 60x32x32cm for transport, the total weighing no more than 10 kg. The kite itself is interesting in design because of its unique and patented features. Surprisingly the brothers have few contacts with the kite community. They come from sailing background, both of them were French junior champions in the innovative, and escapes the influence of other already marketed designs. The single layer sail is made from light laminated polyester ripstop, and its shape is maintained by six custom made inflatable ribs: a long one of arch form along the leading edge, and five others that give shape to the profile. They are made of a special light and elastic material and slid inside cloth sleeves. You just blow them up, set the valves back in place and the kite is ready. It will not sink or fill up with water like other wind-inflated wings. In case of a puncture, which is very unlikely to happen on water, the kite can still fly with one or two ribs deflated. The ribs are easy to replace. Seen from the front, the kite has a half circle shape. One immediately notices the absence of any complex bridling, only two 6 meter polypropylene lines which float on water, come >From each end of the arch and are attached with a safe quick-release system to the harness of the pilot. Directional controls of the kite is provided by pulling on the small knobs attached at the ends of two smaller lines, running through the main ones, coming out just 30 cm before the kite and attached a little to its leading edge. The WIPICAT is not meant for acrobatics in the sky. The kite is designed in such a way that it can be steered with one hand. These features along with the ability to move the towing point to the beat provide a full directional control: turns on the spot, quick stops reverse drives and windward courses up to 60 deg. When it falls on the water, the kite tumbles pushed by the wind and soon get in a proper position for a relaunch. Many other uses of the kite are soon to be explored, particularly in the field of sailing safety. Perhaps this unsinkable kite could become a regular feature on every lifeboat. ---------- The vendors adress is WIPI KA 66.avenue de K 29000 Quimper, France Ca. prices from my source: The catamaran USD 930 5 sqm sail USD 900 8,5 sqm sail USD 1360 Hope you found this information useful. Stein@vestnett.no = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Tue, 12 Sep 1995 14:34:01 -1000 From: daveculp@bdt.com (Dave Culp) Message-Id: Organization: Beckemeyer Development, Oakland CA Subject: Re: Wipicat, sailing & kayak (long) In article <433ca8$sp7@troll.vestnett.no>, Stein Hjelland wrote: > From the interest in traction kiting, This is crassly commercial, and I expect to be flamed unmercifully, but since I'm not actually SELLING anything, here goes: See my new web page (below) (end of commercial) -- Dave Culp Speedsailing daveculp@bdt.com 312 Flaming Oak Drive http://www.bdt.com:80/home/ Pleasant Hill, CA 94596 daveculp/speedsail.html USA (NEW Website) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Tue, 12 Sep 1995 17:00:41 -1000 From: windwiz@west.net (Dan Rubesh) Message-Id: <435hgp$f2k@acme.sb.west.net> Organization: WestNet Communications Subject: Re: Wipicat, sailing & kayak (long) In article , Dave Culp wrote: >This is crassly commercial, and I expect to be flamed unmercifully, but >since I'm not actually SELLING anything, here goes: > >See my new web page (below) > >(end of commercial) > >-- >Dave Culp Speedsailing daveculp@bdt.com >312 Flaming Oak Drive http://www.bdt.com:80/home/ >Pleasant Hill, CA 94596 daveculp/speedsail.html >USA (NEW Website) NO.. This is a part of the purpose behind the web.. You're well within reason to use the newsgroup as a pointer to your web page, and that way, no-one is paying huge sums of money to get advertising in the newsgroup.. They surf to your page(s) of their own free will!! At least, that's _my_ $0.27 worth.. -- -- Dan Rubesh GO Wind Wizard windwiz@west.net FLY A P.O. Box 5747 danr@crash.cts.com SPORT KITE Ventura, CA 93005 (805) 659-5769 (voice & fax) T.B.N.K. Member: AKA & KTA = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Wed, 13 Sep 1995 20:19:32 -1000 From: windwiz@west.net (Dan Rubesh) Message-Id: <438hhk$dgq@acme.sb.west.net> Organization: WestNet Communications Subject: Re: Wipicat, sailing & kayak (long) In article <433ca8$sp7@troll.vestnett.no>, Stein Hjelland wrote: > >From the interest in traction kiting, boats and the WIPICAT in particular >over the last weeks, I have compiled these two articles with a few >remarks of my own, and the vendors "technical notes". The kite is fun and >colourful and the fact that its designers are not kiters but sailers >yield many smart solutions not obvious to a kiter, but lack other >kite.invented patents. The oddity to turn left when you pull right is >unnatural to a kiter, and I think the kite would have performed far >better had it been developed together with kiters. But odd and sluggish, >it offers watertight inflateable spars for offshore kiteing and is both >easy and fun. [the rest of Stein's great compilation deleted] Wipika Update.. I talked with Bruno Legaignoux of Wipika on Monday, 9/11 and he told me that at this time WIPI kites and catamarans are no longer being manufactured in France.. They are trying to locate a source in Asia to do their manufacturing at a lower cost, but do not have anyone on-line at this time.. He said he would let me know when they are back in production, and will likely attend KTA in January if they have product by then.. More as it develops.. -- -- Dan Rubesh GO Wind Wizard windwiz@west.net FLY A P.O. Box 5747 danr@crash.cts.com SPORT KITE Ventura, CA 93005 (805) 659-5769 (voice & fax) T.B.N.K. Member: AKA & KTA = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =