Blade II v Libre Bora at Prokites.Com


The idea was simple - compare the performance of a number of 4m kites ! The plan - to set up a fixed length buggy course and time each kite over a number of laps, noting the feel, stability and sideways pull. The reality - a comparison between the Blade II 4.0m, the Libre Bora 4.5 and believe it or not two kites designed for kitesurfing, the ARC630 and the Advance Rhea 4.0m !!

V-max and the Blade II 4.0m	Getting into the buggy !!	V-max and the Bora 4.5m

Flexifoil Blade II 4.0m	Libre Bora 4.5m	Advance Rhea 4.0m
The wind felt strong but in reality was about 15mph at best. The pilots (as usual) are Colin using the Peter Lynn Race buggy and your truly using the Libre V-Max. Colin set up a course which I measured at 1.3 miles with a long fast downwind section, a difficult crosswind run at the far end and an equally long and tough upwind run through some patches of softer sand. Using the speedo on my V-max I timed each kite over a couple of laps whilst Colin raced me as a reference. A few notes were made on how the kite felt, in particular the sideways pull and stability. We were eager to see how the "kitesurfing" kites performed in direct comparison to the excellent allround Blade and the high performance and slightly more expensive Bora. Its worth noting that both the ARC and the Advance Rhea use control bars and NOT handles !

Colin (handles) and me (Rhea control bar) !!	Setting off in the buggies	Just trying out the Peter Lynn Race buggy for comparison
RESULTS !! We can't say the results are totally conclusive but we did agree on the general "rating" of each kite ! BEST LAP TIME- 1st Bora 3min 40s, 2nd Blade 3min 58s, 3rd equal ARC630 and Rhea 4min 4s ( the ARC and the Rhea were very close so plus or minus a few seconds they were the same) The Bora was definitely the fastest kite by at least 20s a lap which is very significant. It does have a half metre advantage over the Blade II and is about £90.00 more expensive (£398.00 against £309.00) but performance never comes that cheap. The ARC and Rhea surprised us - they were VERY GOOD and the time difference between them and the Blade II was practically insignificant. HANDLING - The Blade had more sideways pull than the other kites which resulted in a lot of sideslip which must have srubbed off speed on the softer sand. Statically the Bora pulled hard but it felt comfortable on the buggy and it recorded the highest downwind and upwind speed on the day. Of the ARC and the Rhea, the Rhea had the lowest static pull of the four kites and had to be worked hard to maintain speed. Even so it was very impressive although the long control bar was a bit awkward on the buggy. The ARC was flown using my short Naish bar which can adjust the kite's power over a limited range. Both Colin and myself felt that we needed more time with the ARC to understand how the variable power could be maximised on the buggy. Incidently the short bar was fairly easy to use on either buggy ! In the past I have buggied using the Twist Grip bar. Although the power can't be adjusted quickly (you have to manually wind the brake lines in or out), it is easier to find the optimum setting and hold it there. STABILITY - In terms of stability we mean the resistance to collapse / folding up, particularly in gusty winds, turns and during jumps. The Blade is renowned for its stability however the ARC is equally superb. To prove this we used the ARC for some fantastic jumps later in the day (read on below !!). The Bora surprised us. It doesn't have the absolute stability of the Blade or ARC but it is very good. The Rhea is similar - it can catch you out with an occasional collapse but it is always recoverable and the safety system supplied as standard is an effective, reassuring backup. CONCLUSIONS The Bora 4.5m was by far the fastest and best handling kite. The ARC630 and Blade II 4.0 were the most stable. The ARC630, Rhea 4.0, and Blade II 4.0 were fairly well matched in speed over the full course. From a value for money point of view, the Blade II is an excellent choice as an allround kite but as a pure buggy kite the Bora is definitely the one to go for (even though its a plain looking kite !!) ARCs jump just as well as Blades !! For reference the current prices for these kites are: ARC630 (projected area 4.5m) £450.00, Blade II 4.0m £309.00, Libre Bora 4.5 £398.00, Rhea 4.0m £579.00 (including bar, lines and safety release system).


We thought we'd give the ARC a thorough work out so how about a few jumps ? In fact the ARC makes an excellent jumping kite. Its VERY stable with no hint of collapse and the Naish bar was used to good effect to increase the power as the kite approached the top of the wind window. The jumps were high and very "floaty" with excellent air time !