Authors: Peter Lynn
Date Submitted: August 31, 2003
Article Type: Journal

There have been many times in the 175 years since George Pocock gave kite traction its modern foundation that kitesailing has seemed about to become mainstream, but maybe it really is going to happen this time. Currently generating impetus is the work that Dean Jordan and Dave Culp did for the Oracle syndicate in the recent America’s Cup challenge. Time was ultimately against them for this regatta, but they were successful in developing a kite that qualified under the rules as a spinnaker and that many believe was faster.

The publicity that this generated has significantly raised kitesailing’s profile with mainstream sailors. Coincidentally, Peter Lynn Ltd. Also put some development work in on kites for an America’s Cup boat, Team New Zealand, naturally, and it was frustrating, now that the need for secrecy is passed, to compare experiences with Dave and Dean.

Ironically, early in the process, I had received a suspicious phone call, in a West Coast American accent, obviously pumping for information as to whether we were working on kites for Team New Zealand. My natural reaction was to mislead——-successfully, so I have since been told.

PDF Link: Journal Issue