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heintje23 · 23-11-2013, 16:24

The current record for longest run is 240 miles in 17 hours by bruno sroka. He said the disadvantage of such an even is that you neef to maintain the same position all the time. During the crossing the ks will be able to change position and course all the time so they are able to control the intensity i suppose. By the way, i did one week of kiting a couple of years ago so i am not a kiter myself.

I think the safety gear they took along are vhf with gps and an ais personal beacon. But i am not sure. I think they have the vhf and ais with a strobe led light if all else fails. And flares. One of the guys is Max, from mystic, a kitesurf equipment brand and he brought along a pretty neat vest with extra pockets for vhf, ais, strobe, flares and chemical lights and with a camelbag for h2o

Sand crab · 23-11-2013, 17:52

Kitesurfers usually only make about 12 to 14 knots on average. They can go much faster but that's on flatter water. Ocean swells should keep the speed down somewhat as well as smaller kites if it's windier. I used to be a really good windsurfer and the details are similar. No speed records are set mid-ocean. Keep in mind that they will be jibing and the cat will not. They also use harnesses similar to windsurfers that have a hook in front which allows you to take just about all the force with your weight and not your arms. You can sail really far in this lazy way and just steer. Sometimes I could just balance it out perfectly and not use my arms at all. I would just touch the boom here and there. The **** hits the fan when you are trying to do an (aerial) maneuver and you accidentally hook in. Ask me how I know this.

heintje23 · 26-11-2013, 14:29

Apparantly the first shark encounter is a fact. As well as light weather and some mechanical problems.

You can check it on enablepassion.com/blog

GILow · 26-11-2013, 14:41

What's with the propellers on the cat? Is this sort of thing common?

Ocean Girl · 26-11-2013, 15:01

Excerpt from site News section

"Once about every ten years, the trade winds on the Atlantic Ocean are disturbed. This disturbance usually lasts for a maximum of two weeks. Unfortunately, we are currently in the middle of it. There is very little steady wind out here. It’s good fun, though, but really challenging, as we constantly have to change kites.
On top of this we encountered some more bad luck, a couple of days ago we thought that the engine on board of the Double A broke down. After a thorough analysis we concluded we have lost two propellers and no longer have any possibility to use the engine. As a result, we consider it to be unsafe to kite at night at this moment, because we cannot guarantee that we will be able to recover a kiter from the water in an emergency situation without the use of the engine.
With Cape Verde ahead of us, we are in need of a pit-stop to repair the propellers of the engine and hope for better trade winds. We expect to arrive in Cape Verde this Wednesday to make the necessary repairs.
We planned for a good downwind one taker, but safety first. As Erik van Vuuren, our captain, taught us, this is what successful ocean sailing is all about. Things break down, and you always need to have a backup plan. Kiting on the ocean is not a ride in the park. Of course, we are disappointed by this temporary setback, but do not consider our challenge to be in danger.
Our amazing team in Holland is helping us out by sending all the necessary spare parts. So, good job guys! In the meantime, we will keep you posted on any updates."

Ocean Girl · 26-11-2013, 15:04

I think it's the dinghy that lost two props..? They talk about a collision that broke one of the boards, maybe the ferry service is much harder on the dink then they expected.. Wonder if a jet ski would work better.. Crazy talk?

Ocean Girl · 26-11-2013, 15:07

Another Excerpt, I can't help it

"This journey also brings us miracles. Last night Max was the first to be escorted by dolphins. It’s breath taking to be surrounded by these amazing creatures. They are jumping and playing around our board and seem to have as much as fun as we do. We are truly living the ocean life. This is the adventure we are searching for."

deckofficer · 28-11-2013, 08:54

No posts since the Nov 26 "Bad Luck" post. Also no tracker input. Does anyone know what happened?

GILow · 28-11-2013, 11:44

"This morning we arrived safely in the harbour of Mindelo at Sao Vicento"

Looks like they are back on land for repairs, still going, but sounds like money is a problem.

**atoll** · 28-11-2013, 12:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by GILow

"This morning we arrived safely in the harbour of Mindelo at Sao Vicento"

Looks like they are back on land for repairs, still going, but sounds like money is a problem.

This whole situation is eating into our budget, but we working on that too. If anybody has any ideas, or would like to make funds available, do not hesitate to contact us. For now we’re working hard to be get out there and ride the ocean as soon as we can. Keep you posted!

perhaps if the girls kite surfed naked

,
you would be able to sell a lot more footage of the trip to the news channels

after all most people get bored after 2 minutes of a kite surf video

GILow · 28-11-2013, 14:35

I wonder if that would earn us any money for our trip? Naked "tea baggers" crossing the gulf.

I suspect people would pay us good money.... To put some clothes ON.