Ken Winner wrote:
> If you want to set it up in a slightly different way you can get
> instantaneous depower. I find I can anticipate a gust by looking at the
> water and that a half second delay is close enough to instantaneous for me
> at the moment. Not to say I'm satisfied with my current setup. Always room
> for improvement.

If I were to convert my Wipika kite to a 4 liner, this is what I would
use for my set up to be able to instantaneously depower the kite. The
center line (the extension of the 2 front lines) will go THROUGH a hole
at the center of a straight control bar and connect to a "stopper" (a 5
cm long bar). The harness line is connected to the "stopper". I would
tune the lines such that the kite is in "full power" mode (similar to a
2 line mode) when the "stopper" is pulled against the control bar (the
"stopper" stops the center line from "escaping" from the control bar).
When I sail unhooked, I am always in full power. When I hook in, I can
just push the control bar away from me to depower (almost similar to
sheeting out in windsurfing).

Since the harness line is connected to the "stopper", I have a
"swiveling" harness line built-in. Furthermore, for safety release, I
only need a 1' or 2' rope attaching the harness line to my wrist or
harness. When I swivel the control bar, it will not affect the safety
leash. To activate the safety release, I just drop the control bar.

This set up would work for a Wipika/Naish 4 liner, may work for a C-Quad
and definitely will not work properly (the way it intends to) for a
foil.

> Don seemed to be stoked on the curved bar last fall, but uses a straight bar
> now with a cam-cleat in the middle for the main lines. Since the Naish kites
> don't work like conventional four-liners, with most of the tension on the
> main lines, the curved bar may not be the best solution. I suspect it
> requires too much attention. I used it, but didn't much care for it.

I suspected there must be a reason for it not becoming popular.

BTW, I guess most of the tension is on the front lines for most of the 4
liners.

Hung.