Raúl Arellano has been practicing kitesurfing for more than 10 years and is currently dedicated to attending to and directing everything that has to do with this sport in Spain, being the current National Secretary of Kiteboarding of the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation and the President of the Spanish Kite Association. He explained to us the characteristics of the "Kite Race" boards thanks to which the number of sailing days per year can be tripled.
Although summer is ending and we already have to keep our minds a little focused on the winter season, we can still take advantage of the days of good weather that lie ahead. Soon we will have to stop sailing with a 10-12 meter kite thanks to the thermal winds so present in the Valencian Community and from October we will receive the arrival of storms accompanied by easterly, gregal, and north winds , west and mistral.
Logically, winter winds do not have the same frequency as those in summer, where you can practically sail daily. Winter is a season in which with luck you sail approximately once every 15 days and depending on the month. What to do then? Wait again for summer?
Until now, the most common thing was to have a twintip, bidirectional freestyle type board or even a directional surf board accompanied by a kite of maximum 12 meters that needed a minimum wind intensity of around 12 knots and depending on other characteristics such as the sea conditions or the weight of the kitesurfer.
But a couple of years ago all that has changed, since a new type of directional table has appeared, or in other words, it has a shape similar to that of a windsurf, with a wide stern, longer and straighter keels and a bow at the tip. They are considerably bulky boards and the reason is because in this way you can plan and upwind even if there are not many knots of wind: they always float.
Among the types of kitesurf boards that you can find, The "Free Race" or the "Course Racing" are more recommended, because although they do not achieve the performance of a competition board, they are much more manageable, which that favors learning and improvement. You can sail at 8 knots if you weigh more than 75 kg or at 6 knots if you weigh less than 70 kg, carrying a kite of about 16 or 18 meters with a wide range of wind, in case at a given moment the wind picks up and you have to continue sailing or return to shore.
In the Valencian Community you can sail perfectly, as there are many days with 8 knots wind. Get a "Kite Race" board and you will enjoy this sport all year round. If you want more information, take a look by clicking here.
