The 2012 edition of the 8 hours of les hemmes were raced in great conditions! The sun was up, the wind strong and the beach big and hard offering a great track to go racing. The 8 hrs des hemmes are always an exciting endurance race, a teamrace where 2 kiters team up to race the 8 hours and some… well some just take the challenge alone! Are you up for it? 8 hours in a buggy?

The Peter Lynn buggy racing team was present and had a blast! The prime example of taking the challenge as a one man team must have been Mr. Snowbuggy.nl Eric Leegwater! Earning some respect ending at the fifth place! Dreamteam Jeroen Potters and John Janssen turned out to be the team to beat! We are proud to say that these Peter Lynn teamriders did it and take home first price!

Pictures of the 2012 8 hours of les hemmes

Jeroen has also put together a nice picture gallery, a selection of his images we present to you here, for the complete collection, go here.

John Janssen ready for 8 hours of Les Hemmes

8 hours Les Hemmes

Eric Leegwater having some fun at the 8 hours of Les Hemmes

Les Hemmes France

Les hemmes offers great conditions for the 8 hour endurance race

Les Hemmes de Marck

The Beach of Les Hemmes de Marck – wind, sun, 8 hours

kite hemmes oye kitebuggy racing

The organisation Kite Hemmes Oye did a great job, 8 hours of kitebuggy racing went down well!

8 hours Les Hemmes buggy racing winners

And finally the winners of the 8 hours of les hemmes buggy racing challenge. Jeroen Potters and John Janssen. Congratulations to these Peter Lynn teamriders riding their Vapor kites to victory yet again! A big thanks to the organisation and on to the next buggy race

For all the results go here!

The box was then transported to a quiet beach and riders were called upon

called on a mission to ride…

Resurrection the movie, now online!

On you favorite youtube channel: youtube.com/user/peterlynncom

We hope you will enjoy watching it as much as we have enjoyed making it!

It is Saturday and the alarm-clock wakes me at 5.30 in the morning.
I roll out of bed and look out the window. It is looking good.
Since weeks I was not able to go. Either the wind did not fit or it was raining.
Recently I checked ‘windfinder’ on a daily basis – it is like an addiction – when does the
weather suit the requirements?
Slowly but surely the different weather forecasts started to shape up to a grand picture for the
next Saturday: wind from the east with 10 to 12 knots.
Yesterday I had already packed my gear with a steady grin on my face.
A last hint of scepticism remains though and I hope that the forecast is right in the end.

The road takes me to Travemünde and not to the great spots of Sankt Peter-Ording or Rømø.
From the time of late autumn onwards, the 3-hour journey to the west coast is not really worth
the effort. Too often does the wind blow too strong and the beaches are sunk under water.

Having just arrived at the ‘Maritim’, a hotel right next to the harbour, I glance over the water
to take a closer look at the ‘Passat’. The four-masted barque features a huge flag at its stern.
The flag is moving lively in the wind and the direction is ideal.
I unload the buggy, mount the Bigfoots and throw the kites, helmet and the harness into the
seat. Swiftly I pull my parakart towards the beach. I am excited and can hardly wait anymore.
It is too good to be true – I am the only human at the beach.
Briefly I hold up the wind gauge, 10 knots from east-north-east. After a quick decision for my
size 13 Vapor I unfold the kite and prepare the lines.
It is still dark but the streetlamps of the promenade are sufficient illumination.
I get into my harness, hook up and start the kite and then I let myself fall into the seat. A
quick steering impulse and the kite moves into the wind window, beginning to pull. The
wheels are turning and I get faster and faster.

I still cannot believe that this beach is packed with people in the summer and now I am the
only one out here.
At first I go towards the north and pass by the Maritim and the Casino. At the most northern
point the beach is getting narrower and I am forced to turn around. I do so by starting a front
loop with the kite – turning in and sliding the buggy around the turn – finishing the loop and
accelerating back in the other direction with full power. At the most southern end I repeat the
procedure and thus spooling round after round.
After a short while the day is becoming brighter and brighter. Whilst going on the southern
leg I look across to the Priwall and see that glowing yellow ball is rising above the trees, the
sky is in steel blue and there it is, that moment which makes the wait worthwhile. I feel free,
just free.
That feeling of freedom is what makes this sport so compelling.

The beach is now starting to fill with life as the first pedestrians and dogs are arriving.
Still keeping their distance, some of the pedestrians are smiling and waving their hands,
others are holding back their dogs with sometimes angry expressions on their faces.
I notice a photographer on the promenade who is using a huge zoom lens and who is
following me. A couple of rounds later he is standing on the waterline still taking pictures.
I stop next to him and after the mutual introduction we are talking for a brief moment. His
name is José, he is a kite surfer and a passionate hobby-photographer.
The kite above me is starting to get anxious and I have to go again.
The fun is over at around 11 o’clock when it was getting more crowded and too dangerous to
drive.
A couple of days later José and I met up and it turned out that he had shot over 300 pictures
which I was really chuffed about. We agreed to meet again in the springtime and that he
would then show me a couple of tricks for kite surfing.

Cheers,

Andreas ‘Rissi’ Rissmann

Round 4 PKA National Series

21st/22nd April

Arrived at the car park at about 8am Saturday, weather was sunny and dry wind was about 15-20mph. We started the long trek down the beach to the pits about 2miles. The wind direction was cross shore. The beach was smooth and hard with only a few soft patches.

1st race of the day was a 40min race and we started off with the 7.8m Vapor me and Adrian got off to a good start Adrian took the lead but I managed to get pass him and won the race 1st Ryan 2nd Adrian 3rd Matt, Alison 1st lady: good start to the days racing all 4 peter lynn pilots in top 4 places

2nd race of the day the wind had picked up and we dropped down to the 6.5m Vapor, the wind was nearly on shore, I got off to a fairly good start with Adrian off in the lead but I managed to chase the field and catch Adrian up but not enough to win again.

1st Adrian 2nd Ryan 3rd Matt

3rd race of the day still on the 6.5m Vapor, got a good start Matt not far behind chasing me but I slowly pulled away from Matt on the down wind section of the course and again I won the race

1st Ryan 2nd Matt (Adrian did not race)

4th race of the day wind picked up again so went out on the 5.4m Vapor got off to a good start again 2 pilots in front Matt being one but I slowly over took Matt but I had problems with my quick release system so the pilot in front got a bigger lead I tried to chase him down but he had too big a lead.

2nd Ryan 3rd Matt (Adrian did not race)

So at the end of Saturdays racing 1st Ryan 2nd Matt 4th Adrian

So as it was the end of the race series and we were all camping in Pembrey Park we had a end of racing party, a (few) drinks and a BBQ then we all gathered in the marquee to have a few more drinks.

Sunday started wet and raining and we didn’t think we were going to get any racing in at all but by about 11am it looked clear enough to walk down the beach. Sundays racing was a retro race day for a bit of fun, we had all searched through our garages to find all our old kit, all the stuff we started buggying on, little buggies with barrow wheels and kites that had to be more than 7 years old, but you could still race with new kit but you were given penalty points for new kites buggies discs etc.

I had my first set of race kites that I started racing on Ariea Raptors and a hand built buggy.

We did 4 races in between the showers but as everyone said usually everyone talks about what size kite to take out but as most people only had a couple of kites, so there was no choice and we all just got on with what every we had. I took out the 4m Raptor mk1 I raced all day on that kite, but I was lucky enough that if I had to change sizes I had almost a complete set of Ariea Raptors, Matt had Ozone Razor and a Peter lynn comp buggy and Adrian was race master for the day, so Chris Croft our normal race officer, who has been in the kiting for a very long long time, could take part in the racing with his weird and wonderful home made buggies, we had some very old kites spider modulus which you can zip in or out sections and a Peter Lynn C Quad. It was good fun flying with all my old kit. But I still prefer all the new technology as we realized how kites and buggies have moved on.

I won 3 of the 4 races so was 1st overall and Matt came 5th overall

Cheers,

Ryan McGavin.

It´s rare that forecasts predict cold temperatures in Spain in April, we had heavy rainfall during the three days, and considering that Zalduendo is located thousand feet from sea level, there was also the possibility of having some snow.

On Friday April 13 the Spanish Kite Buggy Association (AEKB) organized the 3rd Edition of the National Buggycamp. It is very difficult for Spanish riders to travel in August to Römö, so since 2008 the AEKB brings to Spain a small part of the spirit of the International Buggycamp. It was raining and hailing all day long, but that was no problem. We had a small venue where everyone got together, different theoretical classes were given on maintenance of the buggies (screws, wheels, tires, bearings …), aerodynamics and design of the latest competition kites, self control, security systems, pilot harness, types of pulleys, and fabric and bridle kite repair. The event was attended by many new riders interested in learning and improving their knowledge and riding skills in Kite Buggy. During the night, and outdoors in the rain, sheltered in tents and vans we shared a rich barbecue with a great atmosphere.

On Saturday April 14 it was time for the competition through the Spanish Kite Buggy League. Temperatures around 5° C and moderate and gusty North winds. The rain stopped at noon, and the first race took place. We had a very large course, super gusty, super fun and also super slippery, we had to measure the drift of the buggy very well at all times. Jon and I went in the first places riding 4.5m Peter Lynn Vapor s, halfway down the race and riding first my front wheel lost all the air inside of it. Jon was riding hard and soon took the lead and took the first place. It started to hail hard. I tried to continue but I was unable because I had no air in my front wheel and wasn’t moving much downwind, so I decided to leave the race. The wind suddenlly dropped and Jon saw me picking up in the middle of the hail storm, he thought the race was been canceled and decieded to stop. Shortly after the hail stopped, Jon realized that other drivers kept on racing, and continued but had already lost several positions coming in 4th place at the finish line. For my part I finished on 6th place. We started out with pretty bad luck, nothing could get worse, so only we had better chances for the next races.

Soon after the second round began without rain or hail. Jon and I went out with Peter Lynn Vapor 4.5m. And as often happens when we compete together with the same size, if it is very windy Jon takes advantage of its weight, and if the wind dies a little I draw out some advantage of my weight. The wind was a bit more powerful than in the first race and Jon did a great race and finished in first place, I ended up beem second.

In the third and fourth races, Jon downsized to 2.7m Vapor and 3.8m respectively. For my part I kept the third with the 4.5m Vapor and 3.8m. Finally I found myself comfortable, and I was able to win both races. Jon made a third place in the third race, and a second in the fourth race, both races where very exciting, because he was slowly approaching lap by lap and recoved positions, to almost ride a few meters from me. It is great and very fun when we have the chance to ride very close to each other. Jon was riding its best to make it happen, it was awsome beacause the closer he rides the better it puts all my senses to work to try and not let it happen, also to give a nice show. Jon had an OBE on the last lap and that delayed him.

In the fifth race we went out again with Vapor 3.8m, with started highly motivated on the first place. For my part the worst of lucks made my right wheel lose all air (as had happened to me during the first round), even do I managed to finish the race, but in the fourth place. Jon was riding super strong and won the race.

On Sunday we also had temperatures around 3° C, hail, rain, some snow and moderate and gusty winds from the North. With all that we had two races (in Spain we have no race limit per event).

In the first round Jon started at the end of the pack with 3.8m Vapor, for my part I started in first place with 4.5m Vapor. We had some rain during the race, but we where used to those conditions after the previous day. By the end of the race I managed to finish the race in the first place, and Jon ended up been second.

For the second race on Sunday (seventh of the weekend), both Jon and I went out with Vapor 3.8m. Jon was able to take the lead of the race, I started just behind its rear axle, after the first buoy I got to overtake him on the outside and get some advantage. Although Jon did everything possible to regain positions he encountered traffic which prevented him from taking advantage of the hard winds. Jon finished the race on second place, and I ended first.

After the event Jon was second, and I got the first position. The General Classification with just a single event remaining, Jon is in second position, and I’m first. Only 7 points separate us apart.

The next and final round of the Spanish season is on the 12 and 13 of May on the beach of Laredo (Cantabria, northern Spain). We bet that the end of the seasson will be exciting and fun.
To finish we can only say that the Peter Lynn Vapor behaves very well with gusty winds from inland, even on in the middle of a hail storm the Vapor was able to keep delivering that awesome power.

Thanks to:

- Peter Lynn for all their support

- Sergio Etxeberria (prasky) for the pictures

- AEKB for organizing this event

- local club Viento Norte (Burgos)

- and all the judges and people thay helped make this event happen

Jon Muzás & Rubén Sereno

Text & Fotos: Dirk Fok & Andreas Rissmann

From the 7th until the 9th of April races for the German championship were held at SanktPeter-Ording.

Before the race all the buggies were being checked. The weight was taken, the licence plate and the release mechanisms were checked.

Foki’s buggy is being weighed and scrutinised

Calle Redecker was checked for easy seat ejection.

Circa 80 racers met in best weather conditions on Saturday.

4 races were held in the open- and 3 races in the master class.

The wind blew the whole day with 5-6 Bft. from the northwest thus giving optimum conditions and fast races.

Open race – Andreas Rissmann

We continued on Sunday. First the start was delayed until 13 o’clock due to a lack of wind.

But then the wind returned and the races were finally held.

The master pilots hat to do another 2 races and the open class 1 race.

Following the last official race we were all given the opportunity to participate in a fun race.

Master race: start

Master race: Dirk Fok

Master race: Bastian Bischoff

It was a nice race weekend and the start of the 2012 season was a lot of fun.

The races will continue on the island of Borkum with the 4th race for the German Championship.

The final qualification for the world championship will be held on Borkum and we will then see who has qualified and can go to France for the world series.

Things will stay exciting ……..

Ceremonies in the master class: Bastian Bischoff (left) and Sebastian Thomes (right) 

Placements of the Peter Lynn teamriders:

Fun Race (all classes) 

1. Carl Lennart Redecker

4. Andreas Rissman 

6. Guntram Leibrock

9. Dirk Fok

Open Class

2. Jan Laurens Redecker (overall ranking 2th) 

15. Andreas Rissmann (overall ranking 7th)

Master Class

2. Bastian Bischoff (overall ranking 2th)

3. Sebastian Thomes (overall ranking 1th)

8. Carl Lennart Redecker (overall ranking 7th)

14. Guntram Leihbrock (overall ranking 13th)

27. Dirk Fok (overall ranking 16th)

Good wind and good luck,

Cheers,

Foki & Rissi

Click here to view the embedded video.

A cool video edit by Ced, capturing the relaxed atmosphere of the event, enjoy!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Matthew Job reports from the third and penultimate round of the UK National Championship.

The venue for this round was Hoylake yet again and we were all looking forward to a successful weekend just as was the case for round 1.

Looking at the weather forecast for the forthcoming weekend showed fantastic conditions for the Friday and light winds forecast on Saturday and another promising day for the Sunday.  Many of the competitors decided to take an extra day off and go for a practise on Friday prior to the event. 

The beach was in a great condition, the mud had almost gone and the wind was blowing about 30knotts when we arrived just after lunch.  Already there were kites in the air so it was a quick change and out onto the bank.  All of the usual suspects were there and also a few who don’t normally make it in to a buggy.  It was great to see Chris Croft our race officer out with his buggy and kites.

The afternoon soon passed and we had a great day practising using kites up to 4.5m, by the time we made it off the beach the sun was almost down.  A great start to the weekend! We all headed out for some food and in reality, quite an early night. 

When we woke on Saturday it was evident that it had rained quite a lot during the night and when checking the local weather station the wind had all but gone. Less than 2 knots and one big puddle – less than ideal for racing!  We decided not to venture out on to the bank, with our race officer periodically venturing out to check the conditions.  It was out with the no wind toys, bikes, remote control helicopters and the like with a few people doing repairs or modifications to their equipment.  Despite the lack of wind everyone seemed to have a good day.

On Sunday the bank was still very wet, but as the forecast was looking more favourable we all headed out to find a dry spot to set up the technical area.  It was a lovely sunny morning but still not enough wind to race.  The 16.1m’s came out and we had a few hours exploring and enjoying the sun. At about 11am, it was like someone had flicked a switch and we had wind.  We quickly packed up the 16.1’s and out with the 7-11’s for the first race of the weekend. 

The course for today was a fairly basic triangle, from the start it was a reach into wind down to mark 1, followed by a short down wind leg to mark 2, with a long reach down the back straight to mark 3 and a tack into wind heading back to the start gate.  Unusually for Hoylake the beach was quite rippled and with the rain over night there was still quite a lot of standing water.

For the first race I initially chose the 11.2 and went to line up for the start but the wind was increasing further and with all the water thought it was best to change down to avoid aquaplaning.  As a result of this it wasn’t the best start, but at least we were all racing!  Adrianmade a good start followed closely by Mark Sherlock also on his vapors and Ryan behind.  Alison had chosen the 7.8 and was a bit overpowered too.   Aquaplaning was still a problem as expected but better on this size kite, I made good progress though the field eventually making it up to 9^th, unfortunately without mistakes by the front runners I was never going to catch them in the 3 laps. Adrian finished at the front with Mark not too far behind. 

I think disk wheels would have been the best choice however as nobody at all had brought them we all stayed with the bigfoots.  The pumps came out and it was a quick adjustment of tyre pressures before the next race.

I stayed with the 9.4 for the next race and made a good start, Adrian and Mark again started well but pulled away at the front (I think the course was favouring the heavier riders!), the harder tyres were working well though.  I was in 4^th place, closely following the pilot in front and could tell I was quicker but every time I went for a, overtake I would aquaplane and slow down.  On the second lap following the tack I somehow caught the loop on handles with the brake leader and was unable to untangle it with out stopping and as a result lost a couple of places.  Annoying, as it was looking like quite a good result.  At the end of the race,Adrian had maintained his front place with Ryan catching up to third.

There was a little break before the next race, I added a little more air to the tyres and went out for quick lap of the course, finally the buggy felt a lot better.

On the third race we stayed with the same kites, I made a very good start and with clean air was able to choose the line that I wanted, by mark 2 it was Adrian 1st and me 2^nd, the tyres were finally working!!  We maintained these positions throughout the race with a healthy lead over the pilot in third.   Alison had also made a good start and flying the 6.5m was well powered on the first two laps but aquaplaning badly on the last as the wind picked up a little more.  She was unable to do much overtaking either, finishing 12^th her best place for the w/e.

After the third race it was obvious that the wind had definitely increased so for the fourth and final race, a change down in kite size was required, I opted for the 7.8.  I made another good start, with Adrian, Mark, Ryan and Graham Steel just ahead.  We all had good pace and there was no change in position over the 3 laps.  It shows how important a good start is!!! 

This concluded the racing for the day with the results as follows:

Adrian– 1^st

Ryan – 3^rd

Matt – 6^th

Alison – 17^th (1^st lady)

Full details on the raceresults can be found at www.parakartassociation.co.uk

Photos supplied by Lauren McGavin & Adrian Lavelle

The Phantom 2012 will feature all of the characteristics that made the original Phantom one of the most unique, recognizable and loved Twinskin kites to date, adding all the innovations the Peter Lynn Twinskin range has undergone in the past decade. Its sleek design and high aspect ratio make for a very stable platform for all forms of traction kiting.

The original Phantom was (and still is!) well known around the globe for its extreme amount of lift, its long hang time and high flying speed. With the coming of its reincarnation Peter Lynn builds upon a bit of kiting history with a contemporary flavour and the latest performance enhancements.

Whether you are looking to bust huge moves on a land/snow board or ride comfortably along endless beaches and deserted flatlands in your buggy, the Phantom will provide you with a stable and reliable platform allowing you to go bigger, faster and further than ever before.

Visit our full product presentation here: Peter Lynn Phantom 2012

New Phantom owner? Send us your pictures and video!

For all you Phantom enthusiasts that get your hands on one or more of these excellent powerhouses, send us your action pictures, we will publish them on the Phantom productpages when they are of impressive quality! So shows us your skills Their will be some cool new and upcoming 2012 T-shirts that we are giving away to the best pics and vids we recieve. You can email your content to info@peterlynn.com