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Kite Sailing Katana Yacht Catches Steady Winds From On High
Posted by Charlie White at 5:00 AM on November 10, 2007
The higher the altitude, the faster and steadier the wind blows. That's the concept behind this Kite Sailing Katana Yacht, raising a kite high enough to catch winds that might not even exist at the water level. Designed by Stephani Krucke, the yacht is big enough to pamper eight people in the lap o' luxury. Check out the lovely pictures of this sleek vessel.
That kite might get in the way under some conditions, but even if it weren't the sole source of locomotion, on windy days it would still be highly efficient to augment engine power with such a high-flying sail. We think a kite sail like this should be packed on board all vessels, just in case a hapless captain runs out of gas. The Kite Sailing Katana Yacht doesn't exist yet, but aren't these some spectacular renderings? [Yanko Design]
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
gundamsdontkillpeople
Posted 5:44 PM 9/11/07
Its an accident waiting to happen. The kite cords will cut through something somewhere. But its okay because the rich owner will pay for the damages.
gundamsdontkillpeople
LoganSix
Posted 4:14 PM 9/11/07
@bpatten: I envisioned it as an added sail for a multi-hull boat. You get going with the traditional sails, put up the spinnaker, then set lose the kite. You should be zooming right along then.
LoganSix
sfokevin
Posted 3:46 PM 9/11/07
Seems like they could deploy the kites on all those oil tanker and container vessels crossing the Pacific... And going back would be even faster since they are all empty...
sfokevin
tek_nic
Posted 3:40 PM 9/11/07
I am pretty sure I have seen something like this for large ships. Deploying the kite from a tall mast can really cut down on fuel costs. Even if it only saves 10% on fuel, it is probably still a good idea.
tek_nic
ninjamurf
Posted 3:04 PM 9/11/07
@kyanges: The Talented Mr. Ripley?
ninjamurf
spaceman37
Posted 2:35 PM 9/11/07
That last rendering (kitano2) reminds of the Nemo's submarine from that awesome movie "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen"
spaceman37
kyanges
Posted 2:25 PM 9/11/07
Nice boat.
...
+5 for anyone who knows the reference...
kyanges
bpatten
Posted 1:35 PM 9/11/07
"The only thing about this boat is what if a big wind suddenly comes along. What stops this boat from going airborne?"
@Frigg:
the fact that it weighs over 10 tons goes a long way to making sure it doesn't leave the water. Assuming a wind strong enough to lift it out actually came along (unlikely), there's no way the cables or kite would handle that load.
Being a sailor, this sounds like a neat idea, but it seems to me that it renders things useless if the wind is light. Sure there may be faster wind higher up...but you need to fly the kite up there in order to get to it!
Also, I know Kite surfers ([en.wikipedia.org]) generally only show up at the lake when it's blowing 25+ mph, whereas the windsurfers and sailors can sail in next to nothing.
Also, it looks like a freakin spaceship, not a sailboat. :P
bpatten
Jason
Posted 1:14 PM 9/11/07
The boat from "The Island" is a 118 Wallypower - [www.wally.com]
15 gallons of petrol per nautical mile...
Jason
frigg
Posted 1:12 PM 9/11/07
@The Lab: The Island wasn't *that* bad, although I understand that sales from the DVD are going to reimburse people who paid to see it in the theater.
The only thing about this boat is what if a big wind suddenly comes along. What stops this boat from going airborne?
frigg
Redwraithvienna
Posted 1:07 PM 9/11/07
There is a german company which is developig the sail for this kind of ships.
But they just want to make it more fuel effective not faster
[www.skysails.info]
Redwraithvienna
GizFanAlpha
Posted 1:07 PM 9/11/07
Nice boat.
GizFanAlpha
The Lab
Posted 1:07 PM 9/11/07
Looks like the boat from the movie The Island (save yourself 2h, don't rent). Perhaps it is the same company?
The Lab