lancingsc.org.uk

[Mike Croker]

Not quite the cartoon I was looking for (which had a gaffer towing a dinghy, with the skipper saying "That's their 5 minute gun, lengthen the painter") but another of Mike Peyton's light hearted views on 'right of way'

[Steve McLean]

Guys

According to the lancing kite surfing website the area for kiting has moved a lot closer to the club[/url]

[Steve McLean]

see this?

[Steve McLean]

I cant attach the file but if you look at this website http://www.lancingkitesurfing.co.uk/#contact

you can see the kitesurfing zone is a lot closer to the club than shown on the photo above and the zones are totally different to the sign that Katie photographed.[/img]

[Steve McLean]

I have spoken to a lot of the kite surfing instructors today and they arent happy with the new zoning and they are intending to talk to the parish council. Happy to get involved and put the clubs point of view bearing in mind I want to kitesurf as well. It makes sence that the swim zone should be upwind in the prevailing wind direction but does it need to be so big or could there be a shared zone. You dont get many swimmers when its good kiting conditions. The kitesurfers feel they are being squeezed down the beech and for muppets like me it is hard not to drift down toward the club. Getting kite lines wrapped around dinghy masts is very bad news for everyone.

[steve lynch]

Looks like the kiters are equally miffed with the council.
I logged onto Steve McL's link to the Kitesurfing website - was pleased to see that there is a special mention re LSC which states "no real reason to kite in close proximity to the dinghy sailors" - but as we saw the other week this wasn't being observed.
The blurb says that we have been users of this area for 20 years - only 30 years out - so shows how much Lancing council know about us!
Also quite amazed that kitesurfers don't have to have mandatory insurance - whereas we have to have £2m. Thinking of the associated risks - at their speeds far more damage/injury would occur if you got hit by a kitesurfer

[Isabelle]

Lots of valid points here. Since last weekend, Lancing SC has been in contact with the kitesurfing school and a representative of the parish council. All parties are keen to resolve the matter as soon as possible so watch this space!

[Steve McLean]

Guys

I have just joined the Lancing kitesurfing association via the BKSA (British Kitesurfing Association). Everyone who kites at Lancing should be BKSA members which gives you insurance so this should be OK but not sure who is checking this on the beech. Im intending to start kiting from there and will find out more but it definatly seems the kites have been moved by the council toward the club. They probably think we have our own beech and thats all we need but having any sort of beat and a start from the race hut means we will be sailing in the kite area.

TTFN

Steve

[Julian Wilkins]

Those of us who were racing last night were surrounded by kite surfers many of which seem to come unneccesarily close. I had one take a dip adjacent to the pencil mark as I was planing fast on a wave leaving only a small gap to round the mark and no where for me to go other than over the kite if hit by a gust and having to bear away further.

When discussions take place with the council which I assme they are, could their signage simply be amended to tell the kite surfers to keep away from the sailing racing on Wednesdays, Sundays and some saturdays?

[Steve McLean]

Hi Jullian

Yes I was kitesurfing last night and it was pretty busy. Being an LSC member myself I was giving dinghys a very wide berth. I joined the BKSA which is a rule sailing from Lancing and gives you insurance but nobody is checking this on the beach. I think kitesurfers are generally a pretty friendly bunch and arent too much in to red tape etc but personally knowing my skill level I would like to have insurance in case it all goes horribly wrong. In fact I consider myself a complete novice but the end of the beach nearest the club is the beginners end so this makes coming in to contact with dinghys and being swept toward the club more likely. I guess they are trying to keep less experienced kiters away from the western end which is for experienced kiters to avoid wraps but this is putting novices near to dinghys. I saw a lot of out of control kites on the beach and moved the kids away seeing one guy dragging along the beach launching straight in to the power zone. Its bloddy dangerous if you get kids tangled in spectra lines that can lift a mini. How long has this been a problem for? Not sure when the zones for kites changed but we should definatly be talking to the council.

[alan.simmons63]

In my view and because of the prevailing winds, 'South Westerlies ', I would suggest that the entire windsurfing site (beginners and the more experienced) should be opposite Widewater - to the East of the club.
There is a large, suitable, car park at the end of the water and it is easily accessible from the roundabout at the west end of the river bridge.
Siting this activity 'down' there should keep them apart from us at the sailing club 99% (well most) of the time, as we usually only go that way in an Easterly breeze.
Alan.S 1700
PS It will give the owners of the 'new (proposed) beach huts something to look at and 'tangle' with when the owners go swimming!

[Mike Croker]

[Katie_Hedgecock]

"I thought that one of the attractions of Beach Green was the large grass area for sorting out your kite"

I wouldn't have thought this is the case -

to launch a kite you have to first lay out the (up to 50m) lines, attach them to the deflated kite, then pump it up and start flying - as no flying is allowed on the green, this makes doing everything on the beach a lot easier (although it can become crowded).

Although the green can be quite good for tidying the kite away as you can get all the sand off, I think the main attraction was the large open space to practise flying the kite before going on the water (which has now been banned).

K x

[dave carter]

Good news for Dinghy Sailors and Kite Surfers.
ADC will be re instating the swimmimg channels and kite surfing beaches to their original pre 2010 positions next season.
Dave Carter,
Hon Sec.