The WIPIKA Products
| Wing | Boom | Lines | Spare Parts |
|---|
This sequence can be seen with
most recent browthers. |
|
1) Body 
2) Inflatable leading edge
3) 5 inflatable cross battens
4) Flying lines
5) Internal bridle
Advantages
- Easy relaunch from water: 100% success
in less than a minute by a good pilot with
at least 8 knots of wind. - Great flying capability (13 years of R&D).
- Safety.
- Multiple uses: water, sand, snow and grass.
Characteristics
- The skin is made of 48gr/mē polyester
ripstop fabric. - The frame is made of a special made 90gr/mē polyester fabric with a mylar coating.
- High quality plastic tubes are installed inside the six "struts". Access to the tubes is easy, a zipper is sewed on the main strut.
- Weight 3.5mē: 0.95kg
- Weight 5mē wing: 1.2kg
- Weight 8.5mē wing: 2.0kg
Size
The Wipika wings are available in the following sizes: 3.5mē, 5mē and 8.5mē.
The optimum size of wing varies with each sport. As a general rule:
- Don't use more than a 3.5mē on a single kayak and a 5mē wing on a K2 kayak.
- Use smaller wings for buggying than with a surfboard, and bigger ones for bodydragging.
- The stronger the wind, the smaller the kite.
- Wing size depends on the sport and pilot skill, weight, etc...
Wind range
The wings fly from 3 to 35 knots of wind.
They relaunch from water when the wind is over 5-10 knots depending on pilot skill.
The here-under board gives the extreme wind range offered by the
Wipika wings (for 75kg men).
However you are alone responsible in deciding if your
skills allow you to use your Wipika.
If you are a beginner, only use your wing in the low part of the suggested wind strengths.
| For 2 line wings | 3.5mē | 5mē | 8.5mē |
| Flysurfing | 22 to 32 knots | 15 to 25 knots | 7 to 17 knots |
| Bodydragging | 5 to 35 knots | 5 to 30 knots | 5 to 20 knots |
| Sea kayaking | 5 to 18 knots | 5 to 12 knots | X |
| Buggying | 10 to 28 knots | 6 to 20 knots | 3 to 14 knots |
Example: 15 to 30 knots instead of 15 to 25 knots.
Line length to be used
By properly choosing the line length between you and your kite, you will increase its wind range and your pleasure.
| For 2 line wings Measures in meters |
3.5mē | 5mē | 8.5mē |
| Flysurfing | 4 - 15 - 25m | 6 - 20 - 30m | 10 - 30 - 45m |
| Bodydragging | 20 - 30 - 40m | 25 - 35 - 50m | 25 - 35 - 50m |
| Sea kayaking | 3 - 8 - 12m | 5 - 12 - 20m | X |
| Buggying | 3 - 15 - 30m | 6 - 20 - 40m | 10 - 30 - 50m |
The shortest lines are used in the strongest winds of the Wind range board.
The longest lines are used in the lightest winds.
If you use a 4 line Wipika, deduct 5 to
10 meters to the average line lengths.
Efficiency
Even though made for water, the wings shows great promise in buggy/parakart races against parakites and stunt kites.
Wipika Wings have placed well in most French and European level races for the last 3 years. A Wipika wing placed 2nd in the first of the three national series in November, 1997.
Available colours
The inflatable struts and the sail tips are white. The sails are made in one single color: white, purple, yellow, orange, dark blue.
Let us know what colours you prefer: We will try to satisfy you!
Included
The wings are delivered with a hand pump, a bridle, a bag, a small tube of glue, a user book and a video guide in English or French.
Control system
The wing is controlled by two lines, and works like any dual line kite. The bridle is a lot simpler than the ones used on parakites, which proves to be a good thing for beginners. On the other hand it requires less pull to steer compared to other kites of similar size. Any type of control device can be used: handles, Libra device, etc. In any case, one should use a reliable quick release system to guarantee safety.
![[4-line bridle]](images/4line.gif)
4 LINE CONTROL SYSTEM
Advantages:
- You can depower in the gusts, when preparing your waterstart, when falling or when walking on the beach, so it is safer and more efficient.
- Your wing will fly and launch in lighter winds.
- The wing reacts faster.
Disadvantage
- More tangle risks.
All the Wipika wings delivered since July, 1997 can easily be converted to 4 line control.
How to proceed?
It is possible to fit the wing out without modifying it.
You need :
- 20ml of 200kg sleeved line
- four 200kg flying lines of the same length,
- 4ml of 4-6mm line
- a quick release
- a bar.
This equipment will soon be available, but if you are in a hurry, make it now and let us know how you feel your "new wing".
1/ Fully remove the 2 line bridle by disconnecting the gliding knots, except the four short 3 knot lines attached to the kite webbings
2/ Make 2 V with the thin line as shown here and place a small
pulley inside each V.
The total line length is 3m for the 3.5mē, 4m for the 5mē and 5m for the 8.5mē.
3/ Prepare four Spectra/Dyneema lines.
The recommended length is 20m for the 5mē wings and 30m for the 8.5mē.
The recommended line strength is 200kg for the front lines and 150/200kg for the back lines (the Wipika extension lines can be used).
4/ Connect 2 lines to the front edge webbing and 2 lines to the pulleys.
| LINE MEASURES when flying (out of knots) |
3.5mē | 5mē | 8.5mē |
| 2 "V" | 3.20m | 4m | 5.20m |
| 4 flying lines | 10 or 20m | 10 or 20m | 20 or 30m |
| 2 front line bottom part | 1.40m | 1.70m | 2.20m |
| 1 harness line | 1m | 1m | 1m |
| 2 back line bottom part | 1m | 1m | 1m |
What control device in your hands ?
Several possibilities : choose here-under or find a new one.
1/ Handles : attach the 2 front lines to your harness and put soft handles at the end of the back lines.
2/ A straight bar with the back lines at its ends - the front lines
are attached to the harness.
The main advantages of a bar in comparison with handles are that the kite stability is
greatly better and that one can control his kite with one hand.
Attach each front line to a 3ml sleeved line. Attach the sleeved
line to a 1ml rope and the rope to your harness.
Attach the 2 back lines to your control bar.
If you loosen your bar, you will easily reach it again by :
- fixing something in the middle of the bar which the rope will slide through
- fixing a bungee cord between the bar and the harness (that you'll adjust the length
accurately)
This system is simple and works very well but one can't de-hook in
the manoeuvers and jumps.
One likes or not. If you don't like, use the here-under bar.
3/ A special bended bar with the 4 lines attached on, shaped as bicycle handlebars and placed on the same side.
The front lines are attached to a 1ml rope attached to the middle of
the bar.
The back lines are attached to the ends.
Caution : For your safety, always put a quick release to stop your wing after a sailing or in a case of emergency.
At the beach, you also can stop your wing alone by depowering then quickly pulling on one of the 2 front lines.
Set up
You will just have to adjust the front/back lines length.
- ask for an assistant to hold the wing by the leading edge strut
middle, wear your harness, tighten the lines then adjust the lengths so that you can
easily power and de-power the wing.
- adjust so that the bar be at the right distance for your arms. The best way is to
install
a clam-cleat on the rope which receives the front lines.
When you pull the bar, the power increases.
How to land the wing ?
A method consists in asking someone for catching the leading edge. If it is not possible :
- depower the wing when above your head
- quickly pull on one of the 2 front lines (3 or 4m). The wing will slowly fall.
- go to your wing while keeping the line tightened. Gloves are required in high winds.
Pulling the 2 back lines, as the parakites do, gives very bad results with a Wipika. Don't try it !
| Wing | Boom | Lines | Spare Parts |
|---|
