Cabrinha Kiteboarding

Cape Town Kitesurfing Lessons

Kitesurfing is an extreme sport that has become one of the fastest growing sports in the world. As one of the oldest kitesurfing centres in South Africa teaching for over 15 years, we have mastered the best techniques required to teach you how to kitesurf in a safe and friendly learning environment. All our instructors are fully certified IKO (International Kiteboarding Organization) instructors. We’ll take you to the best spots for kiteboarding lessons in Cape Town and Langebaan to learn in the most ideal conditions. We teach directly in front of our shop at Big Bay as well as in the Langebaan lagoon, which is internationally known as one of the best places for kitesurfing lessons.

We offer 2, 4 or 6-hour one-day courses as well as a three-day (10 hours) full beginner’s course that aims to get you up on the board as quickly as possible. We use radio helmets in our water lessons, which enables us to communicate with our students throughout the entire lesson. We recommend a minimum 6-hour course, but every student learns at his/her own pace. We constantly evaluate every student’s ability and progression during lessons to determine how many hours of teaching you may still need.

Daily Courses and Lessons:

We charge R495/hour per student for all lessons – instructor and all equipment included. We teach a maximum of 2 students per instructor, ensuring personal attention and safety.

We offer the following lessons daily:

2 hour group kitesurfing lessons,

4 hour group kitesurfing lessons,

Langebaan board riding lesson,

premium private kitesurfing lessons,

three day beginner kiteboarding course that aims at getting you on the board.

All our lessons include:

Professional IKO instructors

Small personalised group: 2 students per instructor

All equipment included

We offer courses from beginner to advanced

Courses and Kitesurfing Lessons We Offer Daily

10-hour Full Beginner/Intermediate Kiteboarding Course

Our best deal and the course we recommend!

(gets you on the board)

R5940 (10% Discount if paid upfront – R5346)

If you want to get into kitesurfing in the shortest possible time, this is the right course for you. We normally do the 10 hours over 3-4 days (weather dependent), as we get the best results where students complete their lessons in the shortest possible time.

Please Note: Should you purchase the new seasons equipment; the above fee will be waivered on completion of your 12 hour lesson.

2 Hour Group Introduction Course

R990.00 per person

Learn all your kite flying skills on a small foil kite.

We offer a 2-hour Introduction Course for people who want to give kitesurfing a try and get a basic understanding of how kitesurfing works.

We will teach you all the following first steps:

Theory about weather, safety and wind conditions

How to get started, i.e. kite set-up, how to pump your kite, how to connect your lines

First kite flying, safety and control using a small foil kite

Safety systems and use thereof

Kite flying skills with a regular kite

4 hours Group Beginner Kiteboarding Course

R 1980.00 per person

Recommended by Cabrinha as the best first lesson option!

The 4-hour beginners course is recommended for people who are serious about getting into the sport. All the basics are taught on the beach and once all kite control skills have been covered (3 or 4 hours) you will be ready to move on and get into the water for body-dragging lessons.

We will teach you the following:

All steps covered in the 2-hour Introduction Course

Kite launching & landing

Kite re-launching from the water/ground

Power stroke – how to generate power from your kite

Advanced kite flying skills

This lesson will teach you all you need to know to move on to your body-drag lesson.

2/3 hours Group Body-drag Kiteboarding Lesson

2h R990.00 – 3h R1485.00 per person

This Is Where The Real Fun Starts.

We recommend 2-3 hours for your body-drag session. This lesson is ideal for students that have already done kite control and advanced kite flying skills, as it’s important that you feel comfortable and familiar with the kite before moving into the water. Your instructor will explain and show you the necessary skills on the beach before you go into the water to control the kite independently. You will learn how to use your kite to generate maximum power and how to use that power to body-drag yourself away from shore and safely back to the beach. Instructors will always be in touch with you by using our radio helmets (safest way for a fast learning process). Once the body-drag lesson is done you will be ready for your first water start.

4/6-hour Board Lesson at Langebaan

4h R1980.00 – 6h R2970.00 per person

All our board lessons are held in Langebaan in the famous Shark Bay lagoon. Shark Bay is paradise for learning to get up on the board, improving your riding skills or for advanced lessons. The lagoon offers perfect conditions with flat and shallow waters, which makes it the easiest and fastest place for you to learn. Lessons are in groups of 2 students per instructor.

Private One-on-One Kitesurfing Lessons

R790.00 per hour

Recommended for those wanting to learn quickly or as a refresher course!

A private lesson is the best if you are keen to learn as quickly as possible. It’s perfect for those students that want to improve faster or for people who need a refresher to quickly get back to their previous level.

Kitesurfing

Kitesurfing or Kiteboarding is a surface water sport combining aspects of wakeboarding, windsurfing, surfing, paragliding, and gymnastics into one extreme sport. A kiteboarder harnesses the power of the wind with a large controllable power kite to be propelled across the water on a kiteboard similar to a wakeboard or a small surfboard, with or without foot straps or bindings.

Board and Gear hire, and instructors are available at most of the popular kitesurfing destinations.

Kitesurfing will be some of the best fun you have ever had!

Equipment:

In order to kitesurf, several pieces of basic gear are needed. These are detailed in the following sections.

A power kite is available in two major forms: leading edge inflatables and foil kites.

Leading edge inflatables

Leading edge inflatable kites, known also as inflatables, LEI kites or C-shaped kites, are typically made from ripstop nylon with inflatable plastic bladders. The inflated bladders give the kite its shape and also keep the kite floating once dropped in the water. LEI kites are the most popular choice among most extreme adventure kite surfers thanks to their quicker and more direct response to the rider’s inputs, easy to launch again once crashed into the water, and resilient nature. If an LEI kite hits the water/ground too hard or is subjected on water to substantial wave activity, bladders can burst, or it can be torn apart.

In 2005 Bow kites (also known as flat LEI kites) were developed with features including a concave trailing edge, a shallower arc in planform, and frequently a bridle along the leading edge. These features allow the kite’s angle of attack to be altered more and thus adjust the amount and range of power being generated to a much greater degree than previous LEIs. These kites can be fully depowered, which is a significant safety feature. They can also cover a wider wind range than a comparable C-shaped kite. The ability to adjust the angle of attack also makes them easier to re-launch when lying front first on the water. Bow kites are popular with riders from beginner to advanced levels. Most LEI kite manufacturers developed a variation of the bow kite by 2006.

However, early bow kites had the following disadvantages compared to classic LEI kites:

* They can get inverted and not fly properly

* They are a bit twitchy and not as stable

* Heavier bar pressure makes them more tiring to fly

* More difficult to relaunch

* Lack of “sled boosting” effect when jumping

In 2006 second generation flat LEI kites were developed which combine 100% depower and easy, safe relaunch with higher performance, no performance penalties and reduced bar pressure. These kites are suitable for both beginners and experts.

Foil kites

Foil kites are also mostly fabric (ripstop nylon) with air pockets (air cells) to provide it with lift and a fixed bridle to maintain the kite’s arc-shape, similar to a paraglider. Foil kites are designed with either an open or closed cell configuration; open cell foils rely on a constant airflow against the inlet valves to stay inflated, but are generally impossible to relaunch if they hit the water, since they have no means of avoiding deflation, and quickly become soaked.

Closed cell foils are almost identical to open cell foils except they are equipped with inlet valves to hold air in the chambers, thus keeping the kite inflated (or, at least, making the deflation extremely slow) even once in the water. Water relaunches with closed cell foil kites are simpler; a steady tug on the power lines typically allows them to take off again.

Foil kites are more popular for land or snow, where getting the kite wet is not a factor. A depowerable foil kite can cover about the same wind range as two traditional C-shape LEI kite sizes, so the rider can use a smaller kite, giving a wider depower range, although the new LEI “bow” kites have a comparable wide range. Foil kites have the advantage of not needing to have bladders manually inflated, a process which, with a LEI, can take up to ten minutes.

Kite sizes

Kites come in various sizes ranging from .7 square meters to 21 square meters, or even larger. In general, the larger the surface area, the more power the kite has, although kite power is also directly linked to speed, and smaller kites can be flown faster; a tapering curve results, where going to a larger kite to reach lower wind ranges becomes futile at a wind speed of around eight knots. Kites come in a variety of designs. Some kites are more rectangular in shape; others have more tapered ends; each design determines the kites flying characteristics. ‘Aspect ratio’ is the ratio of span to length. Wider shorter (ribbon-like) kites have less drag because the wing-tip vortices are smaller. High aspect ratios (ribbon-like kites) develop more power in lower wind speeds.

Seasoned kiteboarders will likely have 3 or more kite sizes which are needed to accommodate various wind levels, although bow kites may change this, as they present an enormous wind range; some advanced kiters use only one bow kite. Smaller kites are used by light riders, or in strong wind conditions; larger kites are used by heavier riders or in light wind conditions. Larger and smaller kiteboards have the same effect: with more available power a given rider can ride a smaller board. In general, however, most kiteboarders only need one board and one to three kites.

Safety:

Power kites can be dangerous. Because of strong forces that can be generated by sudden wind gusts, people can be lofted, carried off, bashed against water, buildings, terrain or power lines, resulting in what’s termed a “kitemare” (kite + nightmare).

Most kiteboarding fatalities are the result of being lofted or dragged out of control, resulting in a collision with hard objects including sand. It is possible to be seriously injured simply by hitting the water surface at speed or from a height.

Jumping and being airborne at inappropriate places (such as shallow water or near fixed or floating objects) can be a contributing factor.

To maximize safety, basic safety guidelines should always be followed, some of which follow:

* Always check the weather forecast, colour radar, real-time wind reports on the Internet for indications of storms/squalls and excessively gusty winds, wind direction changes and lightning hazards. Do not launch or ride in or near squalls or storms.

* Avoid kite surfing in crowded areas, near rocks, trees, or power lines. In general, there should be a minimum of 100 meters of safe distance from all obstructions.

* Try to ride with side-shore winds. Avoid offshore or directly onshore winds.

* Pay attention to changing weather and wind conditions. Particularly dangerous are storm fronts, which are often preceded by strong, variable wind gusts and sometimes involve lightning. If a rider feels a static shock from the kite bar, they should land the kite immediately and seek shelter.

* Helmets and impact vests can save lives and add substantial convenience if a rider wears them.

* Wear appropriate exposure clothing for conditions and a reasonable period of time in the water, should you become disabled.

* Do not remove or disable factory-installed safety equipment or releases. The most basic is a quick-release harness safety system. Harness safety systems come in different configurations; most allow the kite surfer to release the kite with one tug or push, leaving only one line which is attached to a kite leash. This one line ideally will cause the kite to lose its shape and fall from the sky, without power. Redundant safety releases are even better; do not remove your kite release because you assume you can simply unhook. “Safety equipment” also includes the bar floats, the foam floats on the outside lines of most kite bars; most kite lines sink, and without bar floats sunk lines are more likely to tangle around an underwater obstruction. This could even happen with the bar floats, but they do help. With the kite in the water, a tangle like this could drag you underwater and hold you there.

* Never use a board leash without wearing a helmet. Under very common circumstances, a board leash can cause the board to strike the rider in the head. Alternatively, don’t use a board leash. A helmet is a wise precaution in most circumstances whether you use a board leash or not, but never use a board leash without wearing a helmet. NOTE: board leashes have propelled boards through helmets in the past. The best course is normally to not use a board leash and practice body dragging upwind to regain your board.

* Avoid riding overpowered. Using too large a kite for the wind conditions or your experience level is extremely dangerous. Underpowered riding is preferable to overpowered riding. When in doubt, go to a smaller kite and see how it goes. Always stay within the wind range specified by the manufacturer for the kite.

* Be extra careful when landing or launching the kite. Most accidents occur on shore or while a rider is entering or leaving the water. It’s advisable to either un-hitch your kite from your harness while on-shore, holding onto it with only your arms, so you can release if necessary, or simply be ready to operate the quick-release mechanism. Ideally, don’t spend any time on shore with the kite in the air; launch the kite and then leave the beach immediately, and when coming in, land as quickly as possible. When on shore, keep the kite low: if it’s hit by a gust, it can drag the rider, but may prevent lofting.

* Carry a safety knife attached to the harness for cutting tangled lines. Tangles are dangerous because an entangled rider in the water may not be able free themselves quickly enough in the event the kite powers up suddenly (catches a wind gust, suddenly accelerates, or, if it’s in the water, gets hit by a wave). The tangled lines around a rider’s body can cut and sever a rider’s fingers, toes, or limbs or cause serious and deep lacerations. In a crash situation, with the kite in the water, under no circumstances allow a line to encircle a part of the body.

* Notify the coast guard if you lose a board or kite at sea. To prevent unnecessary concern if your equipment is lost at sea, you should notify the coast guard.

Another, subtler hazard is that at fifty km/h (a typical speed for a skilful kite surfer), one can easily get tired, and then get farther from shore than an easy swim, which is the primary reason kite surfing in directly offshore winds is discouraged. Still other general marine hazards include sharks, jellyfish, sea otters, dolphins, and even crocodiles, depending on the location.

Collisions with wind surfers, other kite boarders or water craft are significant hazards, particularly at busy locations.

Some kite designs from late 2005 and onwards have included immediate and full depower integrated with the control bar and improved quick release mechanisms, both of which are making the sport much safer.

Weather planning and awareness are key to safe kiteboarding. A substantial quantity of riders has been killed in kiteboarding-related accidents since 2000, according to a safety adviser for one of the sport’s governing bodies [citation needed].

When practised safely, with the proper training and gear, kiteboarding is an enjoyable, addictive sport. Like any other sport, respecting nature, paying attention to the weather and staying within the limits of the rider’s ability will provide the safest and most enjoyable experience [10].

Some countries even have laws [11] about flying kites and being safe while flying, this also apply to kitesurfing.

Interesting Facts:

* air time: the amount of time spent in the air while jumping. This can be remarkably long; the current record is probably Erik Eck’s 39-second kitemare. Five to ten seconds is not unusual.

* apparent wind: the kite’s speed relative to the surrounding air. When kitesurfing in a straight line, the kite’s apparent wind is a combination of the wind speed and the speed of the kite and rider over the surface, but since the kite is highly steerable apparent wind can vary widely depending on how the kite is being flown. Most ways of increasing power from the kite involve giving it a higher apparent wind somehow, i.e. diving the kite, riding faster, or riding at a greater angle into the wind. Any of these raises the kite’s apparent wind speed.

* body dragging: being pulled through the water without standing on a board. This is an early step in the learning process, and is recommended before trying the board after flying a trainer kite.

* boost: to suddenly become airborne

* chicken loop: a hard rubber loop attached to the middle line which has been fed through the control bar. It is used to attach the control bar to the harness, so the kite surfer can produce tension in the lines using their entire bodyweight instead of using purely arm strength.

* chicken bone/chicken finger: a hard rubber “tongue” attached to the chicken loop which the rider feeds through the spreader bar hook to prevent the rider from becoming “unhooked”.

* de-power: to reduce the kite’s power (pull), generally by adjusting the angle of attack of the kite. Most kites and control bars now allow a rider to rig a kite for a number of different power levels before launching, in addition to powering the kite up and down “on the fly” by moving the bar up and down. The ability to minimise power makes a kite safer and easier to handle. Some new kite models, especially “bow” kites, can be de-powered to practically zero power, giving them an enormous wind range.

* DP: Dawn patrol; a very early morning session.

* donkey dick: same as “chicken bone”.

* downwind: the direction the wind is blowing towards; to leeward. When a rider is facing downwind the wind is at their back.

* downwinder: a kitesurfing “trip” (could actually be as short as a few minutes) where the rider starts at one point and ends up at another point downwind of their original position.

* edge: tilting the board with its edge into the water. Used to control the direction of travel. Learning to edge properly is critical for learning to tack upwind. Edging is one of the fundamental skills of kitesurfing and is one of the ways kitesurfing is different from windsurfing or wakeboarding. While windsurf boards have dagger boards and/or skegs to steer the board upwind while lift and planing is provided by the board itself, generally kiteboards actually combine both functions and the bottom of the board lifts the rider and steers simultaneously. Kiteboard fins are generally much smaller and are for keeping the board in the water (see “tea-bagging”), but are not essential. Because kite boards have a small rocker, a deep edge can allow the board to act as a large low drag fin. Edging in wakeboarding is used for steering the board; whereas in kite boarding not only does edging steer the kite board, it is essential for kite control and controlling board speed. Riding downwind towards the kite subtracts massively from the kite’s power and helps control board speed as well.

* heel side: the side of a board on the edge where a rider’s heels are (opposite of toe side). “Riding heel side” is riding with heels down. Heel side is the normal and most comfortable riding position.

* Hindenburg: A reference to the Hindenburg Airship disaster of 1937, which in kitesurfing terminology refers to the kite stalling and falling out of the sky. Hindenburging can be caused either by lack of wind or by the kite advancing to a position upwind of the kite surfer in the wind window.

* handle pass: while unhooked, passing the control bar behind a rider back while in the air

* kite loop: is a group of tricks where a rider loops the kite while spinning through the air

* kitemare: a kiteboard surfing accident or dangerous mishap. Kitemares can be deadly.

* lofted: to get lifted vertically into the air by the kite by a strong gust of wind. A very dangerous occurrence that has resulted in several fatalities when kiters on or near land have been dragged into obstacles. Can be avoided my minimizing time on land with the kite flying directly overhead, and by not kiting in overpowered situations.

* luff: when the air flow stalls around the kite. It may then stall and fall out of the sky. Like sails, a luffing kite has rippling and flapping panels. When launching the kite, if the kite is luffing, the rider should move farther upwind, or the person holding the kite should move downwind.

* mobe: This term has two meanings. It can either be used to describe a class of wake style tricks: any invert with a 360-degree spin is considered a “mobe.” Also, this term can denote a specific trick: a back roll with a frontside 360 handle pass (while keeping the kite below 45 degrees); this specific trick is also known as “the mobe.” The term “mobe” (as a class of tricks) is historically rooted in the fact that the mobe (the specific trick) was the first type of mobe to ever be landed. Other types of mobes include: mobe 540, mobe 720, slim chance, KGB, crow mobe, moby dick, Pete Rose, blind pete, crow mobe 540, etc.

* nuking: wind blowing at great speeds (30-40 knots). These conditions are very extreme and dangerous for most riders.

* offshore: wind blowing at the water from the shore. Never ride in offshore winds without some means of recovery, i.e. a chase boat. This is somewhat less important in smaller bodies of water, of course.

* onshore: wind blowing perpendicular to and directly at the shore from the water. A challenging condition for beginners, especially if waves are present.

* O-Shit Loop: Two loops on either ends of the bar that are attached to the kite lines and run through rings attached to the bar. A standard leash attachment point.

* overhead waves: waves two or more meters (6 ft.) from trough to crest;

* overpowered: the condition of having too much power from the kite. Can be a result of an increase in wind, incorrect kite choice (too large for the conditions), incorrect adjustment, simply going too fast, etc. Interestingly, experienced riders who are overpowered can switch to a smaller board to compensate, to a degree, although it’s common to have just one board.

* pop: height gained above the water using only the board and tension in the lines to get lift, with the kite usually positioned at 45 degrees. Lower kite angles are possible for more experienced riders. Used as a basis for many tricks and regarded as an essential skill for progressing.

* power up: when the kite’s power increases (suddenly), because of wind gusts or the kite’s movement.

* power zone: is the area in the sky where the kite generates the most lift (pull), this is generally between 0 to 60 degrees arc from the centre of the downwind direction.

* send it: To move the kite aggressively up through the power zone.

* schlogging: This is riding extremely underpowered. A rider has no power to plane and definitely not enough to jump. A rider and their board bounce from planing on the surface to being dragged in the water.

* S#*t Hot: The art of stylish smooth moves.

* side shore, winds blowing parallel to the shore. Usually the most desirable direction for kitesurfing.

* side onshore: wind blowing between side shore and at a 45-degree angle towards the shore.

* spreader bar: A stainless steel bar that attaches to the rider’s harness. It has a hook that holds the “chicken loop” when riding hooked in.

* tack: The direction which is being sailed, normally either starboard tack or port tack. In a starboard tack the wind is coming in from the rider’s starboard (right-hand) side, similar to sailing a boat. In normal riding, the kite surfer takes a heading which is as close to into the wind as possible, and in any event, leads at some angle slightly upwind, sometimes as much as 45 degrees; jumping or wave riding usually results in traveling downwind, so the net result is to maintain relative position. Alternately, see “downwinder”.

* tea-bagging: popping out of and falling back into the water intermittently due to light or gusty wind, poor flying skills, twisted lines etc.

* toe side: the side of a board on the edge where a rider’s toes are (opposite of heel side). “Riding toe side” is riding with toes down.

* underpowered: the condition of having insufficient power from the kite. Can be a result of insufficient wind, choosing a kite that is too small for the current wind, rigging incorrectly, board too small, water current in the same direction as the wind, not riding fast enough, etc. A rider who is continuously diving the kite and sending it back up in a sine-wave pattern is usually underpowered.

* unhooked is a term used to describe when a kite surfer is riding while the chicken loop is not attached to the rider’s harness.

* upwind: the direction from which the wind is blowing; windward; into the wind.

* VaS conditions: Victory at Sea; very rough sea conditions, generally with overhead wind waves causing severe shore break.

* wind window is the 120-180-degree arc of the sky downwind of the rider in which the kite can be flown. Roughly one fourth of a sphere’s surface. If the rider is facing downwind on a flat surface, like the ocean, the wind window consists of roughly all the area the rider can see, from the rider’s peripheral vision on one side, along the horizon to the other side, and then directly overhead back to the first side. If the rider somehow puts the kite out of the window — for example, by riding downwind very quickly and sending the kite directly overhead and behind — the kite will stall and frequently fall out of the sky.

* zenith the location in the wind window directly over the kiter’s head. This is the neutral position where kite surfers can place the kite to stop moving or prior to movement. This places the kite in a more vulnerable to “Hindenburgs” position than any other.

History:

The Chinese are credited with using kites for propulsion in the 13th century. [3]

In the 1800s George Pocock used kites of increased size to propel carts on land and ships on the water, using a 4-line control system – the same system in common use today. Both carts and boats were able to turn and sail upwind. The kites could be flown for sustained periods. [3] The intention was to establish kite power as an alternative to horsepower, partly to avoid the hated “horse tax” that was levied at that time. [4] In 1903, aviation pioneer Samuel Cody developed “man-lifting kites” and succeeded in crossing the English Channel in a small collapsible canvas boat powered by a kite [5]

In the late 1970s the development of Kevlar then Spectra flying lines and more controllable kites with improved efficiency contributed to practical kite traction. In 1978, Ian Day’s “FlexiFoil” kite-powered Tornado catamaran exceeded 40 km/h.

Through the 1980s there were sporadic and occasionally successful attempts to combine kites with canoes, ice skates, snow skis, [2] water skis and roller skates.

Two brothers, Bruno Legaignoux and Dominique Legaignoux, from the Atlantic coast of France, developed some kite designs for kitesurfing in the late 1970s early 1980s and patented the first inflatable kite design in November 1984, which has since been used by many companies to develop their own products.

In 1990, a practical kite bugging was pioneered by Peter Lynn at Argyle Park in Ashburton, New Zealand. Lynn coupled a three-wheeled buggy with a forerunner of the modern parafoil kite. Kite buggying proved to be very popular worldwide, with over 14,000 buggies sold up to 1999.

The development of modern day kitesurfing by the Roeselers in the USA and the Legaignoux in France carried on in parallel to buggying. Bill Roeseler, a Boeing aerodynamicist, and his son Corey Roeseler patented the “KiteSki” system which consisted of water skis powered by a two-line delta style kite controlled via a bar mounted combined winch/brake. The KiteSki was commercially available in 1994. The kite had a rudimentary water launch capability and could go upwind. In 1995, Corey Roeseler visited Peter Lynn at New Zealand’s Lake Clearwater in the Ashburton Alpine Lakes area, demonstrating speed, balance and upwind angle on his ‘ski’. In the late 1990s, Corey’s ski evolved to a single board similar to a surfboard.

In 1996 Laird Hamilton and Manu Bertin were instrumental in demonstrating and popularising kitesurfing off the Hawaiian coast of Maui.

In 1997 the Legaignoux brothers developed and sold the breakthrough “Wipika” kite design which had a structure of preformed inflatable tubes and a simple bridle system to the wingtips, both of which greatly assisted water re-launch. Bruno Legaignoux has continued to improve kite designs, including developing the bow kite design, which has been licensed to many kite manufacturers.

In 1997, specialist kiteboards were developed by Raphaël Salles and Laurent Ness. By 1998 kitesurfing had become a mainstream sport, and several schools were teaching kitesurfing. The first competition was held on Maui in September 1998 and won by Flash Austin.

By 1999 single direction boards derived from windsurfing and surfing designs became the dominant form of kiteboard. From 2001 onwards, wakeboard style bi-directional boards became more popular.

The current speed record over a 500-meter (1,640 ft.) course, held by Olaf Marting, is 77.4 kilometres per hour (41.79 knots). Sjoukje Bredenkamp from South Africa holds the female record at 37.26 knots.