Polo Kites has refined the Revopolo through several iterations. In 2006, Polo documented the build of three sails with concave trailing edges: UL, HVTD and VTD. This page restores that photo sequence because it shows real workshop choices, not just a finished result.
Use this tutorial to understand construction methods, not to copy Revopolo panel designs. Polo Kites’ sails and panel layouts are part of Polo’s professional work and remain protected. This page does not provide Revopolo plans; if you need plans to build your own kite, start with the other build tutorials.
Polo’s methods have evolved since these photos were taken. For example, his current leading-edge ends use folded Dacron rather than hot-cut Dacron. The sequence remains useful for understanding the overall workflow.
Most of the photos and comments come from Polo Kites’ Facebook profile and his posts on the Bilboquet forum (gone since 2018 or so).
Here are the acronyms used:
UL: Ultra Light (ultra light)
HVTD: Half VenTeD (semi-vented)
VTD VenTeD (ventilated)
Revopolo from 2008, photo at Biscarrosse-Plage by Anne Lio, in 2009.
Industrial design or vector drawing software, e.g. CorelDraw, Inkscape
Laminated sheet (1200 x 800)
Cutting plans
Cutter
Soldering iron with fine tip
Iron ruler
Glue:
UHU glue stick for gluing spinnaker panels (rather than liquid glue, to avoid a “dirty” transparency effect)
Gutermann creativ HT2 for places where you need it to really stick, like the leading edge. For quantity: I use 3/4 of a tube for a Revopolo HVTD 44 panels.
Heavy objects, masking tape or tacks to stabilize the spinnaker
Updating plans with curves & choosing colors.Checking panels in detail from the design software.Printing and preparation of laminated sheets (1200 x 800).Cutting of templates.Laminated sheet trimmings after template cutting.The 22 templates (HVTD: 44 panels; UL and VTD: 32 panels).Test assembly of templates.
Cutting plans for 3 Polo kites (UL, VTD and HVTD). A total of 126 panels to cut for these 3 kites!Cutting the Icarex spinnaker.Cutting the Icarex spinnaker.48 main panels of colored Icarex are now cut.28 white Icarex panels cut (Internal panels for UL and HVTD.)18 black Icarex panels cut (hem/contour panels).32 mesh panels cut. (Panels for VTD and HVTD.)Assembly "small side". red, orange and yellow.
Rubbing Icarex panels creates static electricity. Handy for holding and positioning panels precisely.A little glue.Gluing detail.Spreading glue.Panel overlap detail.Checking alignment.Assembling the 2 parts "2 x 3 color panels".Almost a wing.Now positioning the dark grey panels.And here's a complete glued wing.The 6 wings (which will form 3 Rev sails) are glued together.Positioning the black Icarex outlines.Gluing the black Icarex outlines.Gluing the black Icarex outlines.Black Icarex outlines.1 wing with black Icarex outline. 3 cm wide. Hem, folded twice, will be 1 cm. Come on, 5 more to go.
Fixing a wing with tacks. (Holes are no problem, as this 3 cm black outline will be folded twice to make a 1 cm black hem/contour all around the sail).A wing fixed with tacks.One wing fixed with tacks.Preparing the soldering iron for cutting the inner panels.Positioning the 1st template.The template is positioned. The white Icarex panel is ready.Cutting with soldering iron.Finishing cut (tips) with cutter.Grey inner panel removed.The template can be removed.Positioning the white Icarex panel.The white Icarex panel is held in place with a weight, then lifted to one side.Gluing.The white Icarex panel is glued on one side.Gluing on the other side.The white Icarex panel is glued.Now it's red's turn, etc. ...All white Icarex panels are glued.Icarex color scraps.Tacks are removed.The wing is turned over... How does it look from the "clean" side?1 wing for UL. (Clean side.)The 2 UL wings. All panels glued. The other 4 wings for the VTD and HVTD still need to be done in the same way...The 2 wings for the VTD. All panels are glued. The remaining 2 wings for the HVTD...View from the window :o)
2nd level of paneling completed for the HVTD. (White Icarex panels, like the UL).HVTD (Half VenTeD) is on the same basis as UL. (Except for the gray panels, where the inner panels are made of mesh, as for VTD). White Icarex panels in turn receive an internal mesh panel.Internal mesh panel.Internal mesh panel.Internal mesh panel.Internal mesh panel, etc...The 8 internal mesh panels of the 1st wing of the HVTD are glued together. The scotch tape holding the wing in place is removed. (Oh yes, I don't use tacks any more, tape works just as well).3rd level of paneling completed for the HVTD!Flipping the wing over to see how it looks "clean side up"...Here's the first wing of the HVTD. All the panels are glued. There's still the 2nd wing to do, but that'll be after a few hours' sleep...The 2 wings for the HVTD. All panels are glued.All 6 wings are now finished and glued. Next step: Sewing!
Define the sewing path to sew the main panels in 1 pass. For the inner panels, there's no choice but to sew 1 by 1. The contour sewing will come later... When the leading edge mesh is in place and the trailing edge hems have been folded.Let's get sewing.Panelled sewing.Panelled sewing.
Cutting the leading edge in Spi for UL.Cutting the leading edge in Spi for UL.Leading edges + Gauze.Dacron reinforcements.Assembly/gluing of the 2 wings.Assemble/sew 2 wings.Leading edge - 1st stage. Assemble/glue leading edge dacron reinforcements.Leading edge - 1st stage. Assembly/gluing of leading edge dacron reinforcements.Leading edge - 1st stage. Leading edge dacron reinforcements.Leading edge - 1st stage. Leading edge dacron reinforcements.Leading edge - 1st stage. Leading edge dacron reinforcements.Leading edge - 2nd stage.Leading edge - 2nd stage. Turning of mesh and dacron reinforcements.Leading edge - 2nd stage. Turning over the mesh and dacron reinforcements.Leading edge - 2nd step. Leading edge assembly (Spi for UL).Leading edge - 2nd step. Checking grid width.Leading edge - 2nd step. Leading edge assembly/gluing (Spi for UL).Leading edge - Step 3. Folding of dacron reinforcements.Leading edge - 3rd step. Folding the dacron reinforcements.Leading edge - Step 3. Adjusting the dacron reinforcements.Leading edge - Step 3. Folding of the Icarex/Dacron Reinforcement/Mesh assembly.Fitting the dacron reinforcements for the wing tips + folding the black hems.Step 1. Glue the bottom of the reinforcement to the sail. Step 2. Turn the sail over and cut the black spinnaker along the blue dotted line. Step 3: Fold the black spinnaker from the side hem to the inside of the sail (so as not to cut it!) and then cut the Dacron/Gas/Icarex assembly along the red dotted line.Turn the sail over and cut the black spinnaker along the blue dotted line (in fact, at the leading edge right-stitch seam).Fold the black spinnaker from the side hem inwards (so as not to cut it!) and then cut the Dacron/Gas/Icarex assembly along the red dotted line.Install the dacron reinforcements for the wing tips + fold the black hems.Fitting dacron reinforcements for wing tips + folding black hems.Folding the black trailing edge hems.Leading edge and trailing edge fully assembled/glued. Everything ready for sewing.Leading and trailing edges fully assembled/glued. All ready for sewing.Leading edge and trailing edge seams.The VTD is fully sewn! Ditto for UL and HVTD...
Bridles - Making of small bridle loops for endcaps.Bridles - Making of small bridle loops for endcaps.Bridles - Small bridle loops for endcaps.Bridles - Making bridleBridles - Making bridle. Marking with white pastel. Thanks Anne for this tip.Bridles - Making bridle.Bridles - Making bridle.Bridles - Making bridle. Checking.Bridles - Making bridle. Checking.Bridles - Making knot ladders.Bridles - Making knot ladders.Bridles - Making knot ladders.Bridles - Making knot ladders.The Polo kites are finished! (photo from 2009, at Biscarrosse-Plage by Anne Lio)
This tutorial doesn’t include details on carbon rods. You can find the specifications of the rods in the Polo Kites store, and order rods if you’re interested.
