After an incident yesterday at Brighton in Sydney I thought I would quickly mention a very important point about assisting with launching. This is something that is constantly mentioned in this forum at least 2x every summer but there are still a lot of people launching in an incorrect and dangerous fashion.

Here is the rule:

When assisting with a launch please, please, please pick up and hold the kite from the centre strut. Picking up the kite from the second or third strut from the bottom is likely to get you and other kiters on the beach hurt and I am amazed at how many people assist launching kites from holding the kite from the second or third strut from the bottom.

You may get away with it with a small kite but if someone is launching a Zephyr in 15knot pus breeze the power of that kite bending back when the wind fills the sail and you are at the bottom holding the kite on one position and it wants to fill it will rip you backwards in a second.

I had a guy helping me launch yesterday in 15 knot winds and as the wind filled the sail he let go of the kite and grabbed it at the bottom strut. Got pushed backwards and then got tangled in the lines. I am glad he was not hurt.

So please pick up the kite from the centre strut and just hold the kite in place. Leave it up to the pilot to position the kite where he wants it and to give you the thumbs up.