The concept

Line manager upside:
– The idea for Kitecleat first came while practicing in cramped areas and on boats where the limited space made untangling of lines very difficult.
– Not only is it helpful in tight spots but also in cold conditions, high tide, tall grass, pebbles or snow, as well as helping to avoid dangerous mistakes and oversights.
– As the number and density of kiters rises, the line manager becomes an efficient and space saving tool for beginner to advanced riders alike.

Line cutter (optional) downside:
– Very few are trained to properly use a kite knife leading to lost or rusted knives, which can be a bad surprise at the wrong time.
– The incorporated ceramic blade doesn’t rust and, since the Kitecleat floats, is less easy to lose.
– It is also more manageable in emergencies with quick, one-handed cuts of your own or even other riders lines, if necessary.

So why not designing a comfort & security accessory turning it in a navigation helpmate that you will use every session and then be quickly able to grasp it eyes closed ?
Kitecleat could so be the most reliable, durable (optional incorporated ceramic blade) and floating kitesurf knife boosting your own and others around safety.

Design:
– Focused on maneuverability and security.
– Very quick single hand use thanks to the return spring.
– Allows for easy inspection to prevent line crossing or oversight connection (a known cause for accidents) prior to release from Kitecleat.

To resume, Kitecleat is a reliable and durable piece of equipment to make kiting easier and safer for you and others. No hurry, just efficiency!

Please click here to see how to use section with all details.

Little story: Never had the chance to live by the sea, the concept came to me by practicing this sport mainly in snowkiting, in lakes and from sailboats (rented because I don’t have the chance to either own one! 🙂 ). And in fact… If I have now distributed more than 6000, it’s because it’s faster everywhere, space or not space to extend your lines, with gloves or without!

Line manager function – To get used to it.

Kitecleat makes it easier and so quicker:

Deliver your lines in position for kite / bar connection, no more untwisting of lines.
Suppresses the possibility of crossing two lines when connecting the kite to the bar (not so unlikely with wind above 25kts).
Save space in crowded spots or boats. When you unroll your lines it’s to take off in the same move.

Line cutting function – To upgrade your safety.

Becoming safer with use:

Remains close to you when kiteboarding allowing you to quickly cut a line in an emergency situation.
By grabbing and handling the Kitecleat each session for its lines managing function, you train for the event that you could meet one day, having to quickly cut lines in a bad situation.
To my knowledge, the only really durable (ceramic blade) line cutting tool with a leash (automatically dropped when well in hand).

Safety line cleat

The Kitecleat could also be used to secure the safety line of a kite if needed. When releasing the chicken loop quick release safety, kite is hold by the safety line. Problem could occur when you pull this safety line to grab again the bar. Waiting, the safety line is just draging around your legs, harness, board, foil,… and could so get bound around…
If you don’t want to take off again your kite (technical problem, injurie, no more wind,…) what about secure first your safety line around the Kitecleat? There so, you will be sure your kite will remain in a safety mode with no pressure on lines and have all time to grab your bar again and perform your self rescue to the shore in a safe mode!

Warning: This function is to be used only with 5th element safety system or 4 lines kites with a safety line link to one front line only. If you still have a outdated safety system holding the kite by the 2 front lines, we can not recommend this attachment as the remaining tension in the safety line could be to high to be performed. In any way, we don’t recommend to do it in a 25kts+ wind without using this other accessory which will keep your fingers safe: https://kitesurfvoilier.fr/en/product/self-rescue-tool/

Kite lines length balance check

The correct balance between lines length can be easily check with the Kitecleat.

Always good to be done twice a year as it often has to be adjusted.

Interested? Please be welcome in the shop anytime to see available version : https://kitesurfvoilier.fr/en/shop/ and /or see all usage advice here: https://kitesurfvoilier.fr/en/usage/

Ends of lines cleat – To store a neatly bar

Neatly bar storage, cleat for your line(s)

Allows you to neatly store the ends of your lines if you wish.
I advice at least the longest one to lock the Kitecleat in closed position.
Thus avoiding the appearance of small knots passed unnoticed (about 50% of kiters meet this problem one day).

Why thinking about launching a kite from a boat ?

Even if there is now a decade that we heard about future kite ships, I have never seen a large powerful (multi-lines) kite fly off before towing large boats… Should not be so easy. In fact it’s not !

Thanks to Samantha Davis and Gérald Veniard, racing professional skippers that offer me a try and advices during the return conveyor of her 60 Imoca dismasted in the “Vendée Globe” 2013.

If this concept meet a sufficient public, I would like to develop the following ideas:

Develop a kite launching kit of material for anyone who would like to be able to quickly launch, control and bring back a kite for practice, learning or as alternative propulsion mode (that could be recycled/reconditioned one) if needed (around the world trip, cruises,…).
Develop kite stays + discovery of sailing with skipper and kite teacher or possibly only one firmly anchored sail-boat on the spot for alone on board kiters for a price much lower than classical kiteboarding cruise. Also because that could be a good training before a real cruise…
…

Waiting, the first steps are:
– To have more cutting tools and trained to grasp it kiters on spots.
– To have more kiters that only need the place to pump their kite on crowded spots.
– To built the “secret” spots map…
If you wish to be part of it, please feel free to join Facebook group “Kitesurf sailboat” and / or start training using your own Kitecleat !