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Wow, the "Silent Yachts" one has a "fully automated towing kite"! That's not something I've ever encountered before, very clever. Removes the need for an annoyi
by titanomachy 5y ago
Wow, the "Silent Yachts" one has a "fully automated towing kite"! That's not something I've ever encountered before, very clever. Removes the need for an annoyingly tall mast and probably saves a lot of weight as well.
- contingencies 5y agoA mast provides a predictable center of lift in the boat on two axes, easy to control, handles high winds elegantly. Kite? Not so much. Also, try sailing in to the wind with a kite. May be possible, but very, very slow going. Traditional sail plans strike a balance between functionality at all points of sail, ease of handling and safety. They also have downwind sail options.
- Stevvo 5y agoOne advantage of a kite sail is you have more surface area for solar panels and those panels are not going to shaded by the sail while underway.