…the Rescue Kite. While most of the development for the Volvo Ocean 65 came from the yachting industry, this bit of kit comes from the insurance
people… aware of the experiments in commercial shipping with Kites to assist their passage over the oceans with the hope of reducing fuel consumption.
These have been proven successful to a degree and have shown fuel savings…a substantial number of ocean racing yacht masts have broken and been lost,
with varying impact on the crews and their race campaigns. In most instances they have had to work hard under jury rig to get to a safe port – most
over substantial distance in areas where no Navy, Coast Guard, Tugs or Commercial Shipping has been available (or in some cases willing) to
assist…promoting the idea of Ocean Racing Yachts carrying a Rescue Kite of some description to assist them in just such circumstances, to aid them,
and to save insurers some money hopefully…The Kite though had to be able to operate with the mast in place as well as removed, to cover the
eventuality that swing-keel control is lost and no sails can be hoisted due to loss of righting moment, and the boat has to be able to sail upwind as
well as downwind on the Kite…the Kite achieved all the points of sail, with mast in place, achieved 4 kts boat speed with 10 kts of true wind speed,
and brought the boat across the bay and back into the harbour round the corner and adjacent to its berth…We are confident that this initiative will
become standard equipment across a wide range of offshore and ocean sailing yachts and over time including cruising.
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