OUTLEADER™

Have a question? We've compiled a list of FAQ topics and support articles to help users find solutions to common issues. If you don't find your question here, please contact us and we'll add yours to the list.

Q. Are they really more powerful than spinnakers, asyms and screechers?

A. Yes, they really are. The theoretical arguments are compelling, but the real-world tests are better. During our work for the America's Cup we performed two-boat testing with identical J105 yachts and professional (America's Cup) crews. Both boats had stock J105 mains. The control boat flew a stock big J105 asym of 89 sq. meters and the kite powered boat flew a 69 sq. meter OutLeader kite. In light conditions the bigger sistership asym was a factor and the two boats sailed nearly even. In medium air (12-18 kts), the kite powered boat was clearly superior, repeatedly gaining 3-4 seconds/mile. In heavy air the kite boat walked away because it could sail deeper than the sprit boat. Even with their trimmers skilled in surfing Santa Barbara's offshore waves, and even with all hands pumping both main and asym, the smaller kite-powered boat consistently pulled away.

Q. Why wasn't the kite used in the 2003 America's Cup? Isn't that what it was designed for? Did it fail somehow?

A. On the contrary. The OutLeader kite succeeded beyond our expectations. It is this success which convinced us to offer OutLeader spinnaker replacement kites to the public.

Our AC client set the design bar very high for us. By the time we scaled it, their management decided there was not time to prepare the boats and crews to America's Cup skill level with a radical new device in the 100 or so sailing days then remaining.

In their press release, Oracle BMW Racing's designer Chris Todter was quoted, "Had we been able to develop this technology sooner in our design cycle we would have been able to use it during the Louis Vuitton Cup racing."

Q. Can I use your kite on my beach catamaran or sailing dinghy?

A. The mission and intent of KiteShip is to build large kites suitable for boats from about 20 foot up to mega yachts over 100 foot. The OutLeader kite is the only kite which can be built and self-launched in large sizes from boats in deep water.

We don't sell kites for beach cats or other small boats at this time. Small kites (smaller than about 40 sq. meters) need very lightweight lines - lines too small to hold in your hands. Kiteboarders solve this by never touching their kite lines. They always fly on full length lines and use a shore assist to launch their kites. If this method is acceptable to you, we recommend you try a kiteboard kite on your boat.

Q. Can I use one that's bigger than my current spinnaker?

A. Yes you can. Since the kite's total force leads to the deck of the boat, and since an OutLeader's hoist is far shorter than an equal-sized spinnaker, users find they can carry far larger kites than they could spins. Without loading at the masthead, the mast is not endangered. More importantly, there is no tendency for the boat to round up or broach without masthead load. Since the kite's attachment points can be tweaked even while fully loaded, helm balance can be finely tuned maintaining good control even in very heavy air and at high speed.

Q. C'mon, legal spinnakers? Isn't this just a rule cheater? What does PHRF/Americap/etc. say about it?

A. No. Besides the proven advantage of more horsepower, there are fundamental advantages to ridding a sailing boat of the dangers and downsides of mast-attached off-wind sails. Heeling moment, broaching, helm imbalance, as well as cost and complexity all favor kite spinnakers over conventional ones.

As to handicapping bodies, it is useful to remember that all handicapping is designed to level the playing field between boats of differing abilities. Kite powered boats advantages are still largely unquantified. While both Americap and PHRF have offered encouragement, only PHRF have actively rated OutLeader kites to date. It's a chicken and egg thing... until sailors come forward who are willing to take an artificially hard ratings hit, the handicapping bodies won't have enough data to rate kites accurately. On the other hand, there's always line honors to sail for.

Q. How do you launch / recover it?

A. OutLeader kites are launched similarly to spinnakers. We use a temporary line from the kite's retrieval patch to the hounds to assist in the launch. (The retrieval patch is not where you'd think it is.) Since this gives the kite multiple points at launch, we find that it is well under control and launch goes easily and predictably. Unlike spins, the launch sequence is fully reversible at any point, so tangles, hour-glassing and other launch nightmares happen less often. Control is positive enough that we have sailed away from moorings under kite power alone, on very short lines. Takedown is also simple. If the crew does not want to winch the boat up to the kite, they can partially or wholly collapse it via the retrieval line and suck it back to the boat very quickly. With a little practice this can be done entirely airborne, even from very long lines. With a little skill you can maintain some lift and suck it back at masthead height or higher. We often launch and recover the kite completely dry.

Q. What happens when the kite "shrimps"?

A. Every spin eventually shrimps. So does every kite. The difference is that OutLeader kites are designed to survive the experience. If all lines except the tail line are blown, the kite collapses like an umbrella and can be sucked back even underwater. If the kite sags into the water while flying (wind hole, for instance) it can often be relaunched via the sheets without ill effect. Alternatively, it can be wholly or partially retrieved via the retrieval line and relaunched often far distant from the boat. Only as a last resort does it need to be aborted and tail-dragged back in. Knock wood, we have yet to shred a kite via shrimping. And of course, since the mast is not involved during an abort, there's little danger to the rig.

Q. What happens at a crowded leeward mark?

A. Crowded marks in kite sailing races aren't a new thing. Kite-powered land buggies have been around for a long time. High speed heats with 50-100 kite buggies are common. Mark roundings are fast, controlled and largely trouble free. Check this out for some photos. All the kite lines are parallel to each other so it's very orderly for the participants. Kites are controllable flying devices. You can fly over, under and between other boats' kites. Boat length needs to be considered the length of the hull, as you'd expect.

At a takedown, typically you'll either winch the boat up to the kite bringing it to short lines early then douse as normal, or over-stand the mark (with the kite, not the hull) then blow the kite's shape and suck it back in a hurry just before the mark. With some skill you will learn to keep the kite at or above masthead height all the way in. Yes, you're going to need to practice this to keep it out of leeward boats' rigging, but hey, you had to practice spinnaker takedowns before you went near other boats once upon a time, didn't you?

Q. Aren't those flying lines awfully thin?

A. KiteShip recommends using best quality high modular lines for flying. Weight in the kite and its flying system hurts performance. We use and recommend tapered sheets and use very high quality Spectra or Dyneema for cores. Dyneema SK75 is very strong - much stronger than any other line for its weight. 1/4 inch SK75 core is stronger, all by itself, than most 9/16 inch double braid polyesters at less than 1/6th the weight. Even our lightweight 3/16 inch SK75 core is stronger than most 7/16 inch polyesters. We recommend covering this core for about half the length of your flying lines. We favor a custom Spectra/Dyneema cover for even more strength, but polyester and even polypropylene will work. In very large boats, we recommend high melting point covers to avoid melting onto winches, and sometimes non-HWMPE cores for the same reason.

Q. Can I use it on a shorthanded/single handed boat?

A. Outleader kites are designed for fully crewed boats. Their ability to fly without specialized custom winches and additional gear for launch/recovery relies on the ability of the crew to handle 3 winches. On the other hand, we are learning tips and tricks to fly on fewer winches and even on no winches at all. Under some conditions we fly with a single crew plus the helmsman. We are learning as much from our customers as they are from us. KiteShip Corporation represents OutLeader kites as solutions for fully crewed boats. Your mileage may vary.

Q. What happens when the wind dies?

A. Well, you're not going to be sailing when the wind dies, are you? Kites, like all flying structures, have a stall speed - a minimum wind speed below which they will not fly. OutLeaders need about 5-7 kts apparent to launch and about 3-5 kts to continue flying. When the apparent wind drops below this, the kite will not fly and will fall into the water. So, spinnaker replacement kites are not appropriate for ghosting conditions. A mast-supported spinnaker will be the better choice then. Flying a spinnaker replacement kite is a cooperative effort between the trimmer(s) and helmsman. The helmsman's job is to maintain the apparent wind above the kite's minimum threshold, sailing a higher course when necessary. Yes, sometimes this means sailing above the rhumb line, meaning there'll be a need to sail below it later. The other side of the coin is that you can sail far below the rhumb line profitably when a puff comes through all the while maintaining higher boat speed due to the kite's greater power.

As skill levels rise, sailors will discover that they can keep the kite moving in very light winds maintaining speed and control and lots of power at a time when everybody else is floundering. See Sailing VMG Courses below for more information.

Q. What happens when I "sail over" the kite or sail into a wind hole?

A. This is similar to the situation above. The helmsman needs to alter course to bring the apparent wind up. An OutLeader kite can float in zero wind for awhile, but just like any spin, its shape is going to suffer and eventually it will fall into the water. There will be the need to reestablish shape and air flow before you can get useful drive. Better to head up a bit and maintain apparent wind. This may result in a longer course, but often keeps the boat moving fast and puts you ahead. You'll need to experiment on your own boat to determine which technique (including striking the kite and raising a lightweight spin) is best for each situation.

Q. What happens in higher winds with a big kite? Aren't we just going to be over powered?

A. This is where it gets exciting. Because the kite isn't driving the masthead forward, it does not drive the bows down. In fact, it can be tweaked forward and can actually lift the bows. This is especially relevant to multihulls. Imagine driving the boat at high speed and the lee bow doesn't get driven under.

In addition, without the strong torque at the masthead, the boat has almost no tendency to spin out or broach, and the helm can always be balanced keeping the rudder un-stalled even at high speed. After many years of experience in kite-powered speed sailing, we have yet to find an upper limit to the amount of kite power a boat can absorb.

Q. How do I sail a dead downwind (VMG) course? Won't I just run over the kite?

A. We've had much practice sailing downwind VMG (velocity made good) courses, as these are all that exist in IACC racing. Once again, specifics will vary for each boat and wind/wave state, but generally it's a matter of sailing to apparent wind. By maintaining the kite's minimum apparent wind across the deck, the boat will take a snaking course sometimes higher and sometimes lower (even DDW) while maintaining the best VMG. This course will seem high at times, but will be very low at others. In two-boat testing against identical J105's, we found that this technique works. The kite can get to leeward faster than spinnakers can.

Q. How do I fly it after dark?

A. There are two things which need to be seen in order to fly an OutLeader kite; the leading edge curl and the centerline's rotation. The first is the same as any spinnaker. The second relates to whether the kite is beginning to rise or beginning to sink. On moonlit nights, this visibility isn't a great issue (staying away from dark colors is a good idea as is flying on relatively short lines). On very dark nights we have found mounting small lights on the kite works best - one to illuminate the nose and leading edge and another farther back to define the centerline. If this is illegal or unwarranted, you can shine a torch on the kite just like any sail. Once a kite spinnaker is properly trimmed, it needs only occasional trimming. Kites automatically react to apparent wind direction. All you're trimming for is power and to keep the kite steady in altitude.

Q. How much do they cost?

A. OutLeader kites largely use the same materials and the same manufacturing techniques as high quality spinnakers. They must be carefully engineered and built to very light specs to maintain their low-wind ability and there must be zero defects in manufacture. Because of this and because we are a small company with relatively small production runs, OutLeader kites cost a bit more than premium spinnakers. However, they are a completely new and innovative technology. Their early adopter premium is small compared to other innovative technologies. For most boats, one kite can do the job of both symmetrical and asymmetrical spinnakers. And of course, poles, struts, tracks and a lot of controlling lines aren't needed. Taking this into account, OutLeader spinnaker replacement kites are much less expensive than spinnakers.

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