Kite Buggy NZ

Nice video Murray! Nice use of low angle shots, always works well with buggy pics and vid.

I was just wondering how you managed buggy speeds of 60 to 70 kph. I've managed to crank out 50kph runs, but my usual blast is around the 40kph mark. I've tried going out in 20 knot plus winds but I just seem to get pulled sideways too much to attempt a decent run. I use a PL Comp buggy and usually a 2.2 C-Quad. Any tips how to get this extra bit of speed from my gear?

Cheers John

Thanks John.
The fastest runs I've done have always been when I'm slightly overpowered and heading slightly downwind. By overpowered I mean just like you described, struggling not to be dragged sideways when going straight across wind. In those conditions (particularly if its a big wind and a small kite) a run pointing about 30 degrees downwind will take some of the sideways drag and convert it into speed. Of course this means you then have to battle back upwind again. Other factors are surface and kite speed. The surface at Wakapuaka is one of the fastest. Very hard and very little rolling resistance, almost like asphalt. Delta kites were the fastest shape through the air until the invention of the flexifoil powerkite (ie the stacker 6 or super 10) which now holds the world record for kite speed. Most buggy pilots I've talked to say they were using a stack of flexifoil powerkites when they made their fastest runs. I beleive c-quads can go pretty fast too but again, it must be slighty downwind to get the top speed possible out of a kite. I know of guys who are using big c-quads and custom buggys weighted down with sand bags (for extra traction) to routinley reach speeds of 80kph+ (here in NZ)!