Blowing 12/14 knots side off yesterday with the bud my size 96 kg/210 lbs.
With no whitecaps he decided to go for a run leaving his 17m Slingshot in the
car as I rolled out Max. Using 40m lines and grabbed my 50cm x 120cm board put
the V8 clip on all four lines 18m from the kite. With the G1-18 found that at
15m from the kite with the V8 the G1-18 becomes unstable and requires constant
attention. Launching the G2-22 alone only half filled with air due to the low
winds think the 4 line clip helps shape the kite, but also destabilizes it
until it inflates. This made for a few nervous moments due to the nearby rows
of volleyball post that line the back of our beach as filled Max signing it
back and forth across the beach.

On the water inflated think the G2-22 more stable than the G1-18 with the V8
clip at the same distance from the kite. Think this could come from the larger
size of the G2-22 or from the increased thickness of the Blue Max. On turning
and speed am using "brake doublers" (pulleys at the end of the 80 cm bar) to
turn the beast. I light winds for max effect I use both hands on the side I
want to turn riding shackled into the chicken loop. When I need to make an
extreme turn in light winds, like when getting back to the beach in side off
winds sheltered by trees, I use a bare hand on the leader on the side I need to
turn.

On the performance of the Blue Max with the V8 clip 18m from the kite found the
speed across the window hugely improved with the V8 clip on 4 lines. Its
almost scary fast given its size. In this regard, I'm wondering if the
increase in speed across the window doesn't have something to do with the
decrease in line drag when you pinch all four lines together. Could it be that
the backs are moving freer of wind resistance in the wind shadow of the fronts
rather than creating four individual areas of wind turbulence as the would
otherwise when unclipped? On turning, the V8 clip destabilizes the kite like a
spinning top that wants to fall over. As you move the clip closer to the kite
it becomes more unstable and probably more dangerous. This destabilization
makes the Max also want to tip over and dive faster from zenith generating more
power. The 4 line V8 clip has to make the kite more rigid and I think give it
more speed like a LEI made rigid by its tubes in light wind.

In striving for the maximum light wind performance from Maxine am planning on
moving the V8 down to 15m from the kite next time out in light winds which we
expect this week. From a safety standpoint I only intend to try this in
relatively stable lights winds. The few gusts over 15 knts that came through
gave me an indication of the Max's power which I would classify as awesome.
Can't wait to try it in 15/20 with only the two fronts Y-clipped. Intend to
use the Y-clip about 15m from the kite in all conditions when I have enough wind
to ride upwind. Will only use the V8 when its the only way I can ride. I'm
my mind the V8 clip adds an element of instability (and danger??) as you move it
closer and closer to the kite while improving overall performance. I would
only recommend using it on very light wind days when you would otherwise have
sat on the beach or stayed at home.

Overall, am very pleased with Blue Max so far. In our mostly onshore winds in
Chicago at the bottom of Lake Michigan need a kite with the max upwind
performance to fight through a nasty shorebreak to get to clean water and nice
ramps for jumping. The G1-13/18 combo does this well particularly with Y-clips
at 15m on G1-18. This made me want to stick with the G's over the Bomba's and
so far I'm glad that the G2-22 arrived before the 20m Bombers which finalized my
decision. With the bigger G1's and G2's think it always makes sense to clip
them for better performance even in good winds. I think it may well enhance
the G's already excellent upwind performance. Can't wait to try Max in some
decent wind. As for rigging Max, with the standard four lines even with
chicken loop against the bar with the adjuster strap set for full power, I've
shortened the back lines by 20 cm; 10cm at the kite and 10cm at the bar. In
this regard, keep in mind that when you clip only the front lines you are
making them shorter compared to the backs which may require some further
adjustment.

Regards,
Tim






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