Do you really think about stuff like this Slave? Always thinking though, good on you, hope you are getting out because it's windy and nice.

If two riders are on a collision course, some one has to initiate a course correction.
Correct ?
It's just commonsense, right ?
Now if both riders initiate a course change (both bearing away), the result will be a collision with a greater impact.
So who has the right-of-way ?
Who holds their line so there's no confusion ?
Who stays firm on their course ?
I know.
Do you ?

waveslave said...

Now if both riders initiate a course change (both bearing away)

Those are funny...

Seems to happen every other session for me (without the collision) - 2 experienced kiters riding towards each other with both kites at 45 degrees, and the following sometimes happens:

- both think "I will go upwind" and tack upwind harder
- a few seconds elapse
- both realise they will still collide, and both bear off and lower thier kites
- a few seconds elapse
- rinse and repeat...

From memory my record is three iterations of the above, until one of the riders signals the other rider to go upwind / downwind and settle the confusion

I would say most kiters don't know unless they have a windsurfing/sailing background.

This topic is not even mentioned during lessons.

overheard someone teaching the other day i have ginormous ears they were at least 2km away

Quote " if your kite is on your right side, you have right of way" ?

Starboard tack has right away, - unless over taking.

Windward position also has right of way!

Sail has right of way over power, - unless commercial traffic.

oluddington said...

Starboard tack has right away, - unless over taking.

Windward position also has right of way!

Sail has right of way over power, - unless commercial traffic.

In other words - pass each other port to port
(My left side of the board, his/her left side of the board)

The collision rule explained in a different way....

"don't f-ing hit me!".

The only collisions I have had have been in the following situations:

1. Someone follows you into a point where you need to change direction and are running out of water, you do your change of direction and they are still bearing down on you.

2. Someone changes direction without checking if someone is behind them.

3. Someone is riding ~5-10m upwind of you and decides that it would be awesome to jump at that moment.

I haven't seen riders actually collide, mainly kitelines cross.

On a board, if you are riding heelside with your RIGHT leg leading, you have the RIGHT of way - that's how I remember.

In yacht racing if a collision occurs, both boats must do the penalty - because avoiding a collision regardless of who has the right of way is the first priority.

I don't think it would matter how simple the rules were to follow, in the kiddie pool at St Kilda on a cranking summer day you still seem to end up playing chicken with everyone!

waveslave said...

Having right-of-way doesn't mean you can do whatever you want.
You actually have fewer options.
Having right-of-way means you must stay firm on your course ...
You must hold your line.
The other rider who doesn't have right-of-way initiates the change of course.
They must bearaway early and in an obvious manner.

Did your Mummy not hug you enough as a kid?

oluddington said...


Windward position also has right of way!

Errr... you sure about that?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racing_Rules_of_Sailing

Just goes to show that it's complicated and lots of people on the water don't all play by the same rules.
After a while you realise that the official rules don't mean much because not everyone knows them fully.

The general case is just to miss the other guys... So if you're coming up to someone and you can see that you're heading slightly upwind of them, make a definite correction upwind and they'll see it and do the same downwind. This works in 99.9% of cases... (far more than if you were following the racing rules of sailing)

I think that the only reason the kiter leaving the beach has right of way as illustrated in the rules in Ireland IKSA is because he is on starboard ie wind coming over right shoulder. Im pretty sure this wouldnt be the case in WA sw seabreeze rider leaving beach is on port ie wind coming over left shoulder therefore should give way to rider coming in who is on starboard. Same goes for NSW ne seabreeze.I think if everyone used these rules as a base it would become much easier to pass each other. When waves come into it , it does become more complicated. I feel that you should give way to the guy thats riding the wave irrespective of whether hes on port or starboard , the waves are what where there for.Also agree with lostinlondons 3 points especially point 1.If you are going to follow someone into the beach then stay upwind of them to allow them to pass downwind when they head back out .

agree - standing on land with a kite above your head is where most accidents happen - makes sense to give way and let them get out to the safety of the water ASAP.

Oh, does the 3rd graphic look wrong to anyone else on that IKSA chart? - it shows the upwind rider lowering his kite, even though it says the downwind rider should lower their kite? (at least thats how i see it - bit confusing)

:) yeatsie

21.3 of ISF Rules:
"During the last minute before her starting signal, a kiteboard that significantly
slows down or stops, and is no longer making material forward progress, shall keep clear of one that has not."

So if you plan to sit in the water on the start line with kite overhead waiting for the green flag & horn PLEASE look behind before you move your kite!

Some others from the rule book:

When overlapped, Windward kiteboard shall keep clear of a leeward kiteboard

When not overlapped, a kiteboard clear astern shall keep clear of a kiteboard clear ahead

When kiteboards are overlapped the outside kiteboard shall give the inside kiteboard mark-room