TerryMcTool said..
Mostly its done to stop sail flutter, this is for battens in the trailing edge. Battens in the leading edge are "supposed" to make the kite perform better in light winds, but my experience like yours found they made no noticeable difference, other than being far easier to pack up. Most brands don't use them and they seem to perform fine, its more of a designer thing it would seem, some designers are just stuck on the idea.
tha's probably one of the reasons why North got rid of the battens on the Rebel this year...
they esy say it makes it lighter (sort of obvious) and "more flexible" (who know that that means in a kite)
people who who have ride both models say there is no real noticeable difference.
