Boat ready, kite launch procedures confirmed and weather forecast favourable: we had to be patient before all these conditions were met in Leucate.
But finally, it is done! We were able to connect a small 12m2 kite to the boat, take it off and land it.
The boat was moored because we wanted to focus on only one thing during this first test: validating the kite’s steering system, from the cockpit to the end of the lines.
Conclusion: everything works! Our co-pilot Benoît was able to quickly take control and manipulate the kite very easily, in around 15/20 knots of wind.
Beyond the technical aspect, it was also a great moment for the team: after years of work, our boat is finally complete, on the water and with a kite. How does she look?
What’s next? Our next goal is to cast off and see what our boat is capable of. The next few months promise to be very exciting!
What about the 80 knots (150km/h)?
We’ll have to be patient!
We’ve got a lot to learn with the boat before accelerating step by step. We’re going to be sailing at very low speeds at first, which will allow us to learn a lot without risking the safety of our pilots or the crew onboard the chase-boats, or risking damaging our little rocket.
Setting up in Leucate
Let’s rewind: Before being able to launch a kite on the boat, the team did a lot of work, on land or with the chase-boats, to be ready to sail as soon as possible.
Let’s recap our past months in video!
