Land sailing

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Land sailing is motion across land in a wheeled vehicle powered by wind through the use of a sail. The term comes from analogy with (water) sailing. It has a variety of names in addition to land sailing, Most commonly Sand Yachting or Land Yachting. A vehicle used in land sailing is often called a land yacht. Historically, land sailing has been used by some cultures as a mode of transportation; in modern times, land sailing is primarily a sport and has been practiced as such mainly since the 1950s. Modern land sailors, generally referred to as "Pilots" can go three to four times faster than the wind speed. A gust of wind is considered more beneficial in a land sailing race than a favorable windshift.

Land sailing works best in windy, flat areas - taking place mainly on beaches, air fields, and dry lakebeds (playas) in desert regions.

Land yachts are three wheeled vehicles which work mainly like usual water boats in the way they are sailed, except they are steered by pedals or hand levers. They are sailed from a lying down position.

Contents 1 Land Yacht Classes 2 European Championships 3 See also 4 External links

[edit] Land Yacht Classes

Excluding Ice yachting, there are a number of basic types, or "classes" of Sand or Land Yacht. Because of the very different nature of each class, they compete separately in races.

The Largest is the Class 2, which can bear an 8 Metre mast. The massive sail area can provide more power than any other yacht, although their speed can sometimes be limited by their large size. These are sailed mainly in Europe, and not sailed at all in some countries such as the United Kingdom.

The Class 3 is probably the most popular yacht design, almost Identical to the Class 2 in appearance, but significantly smaller. They are generally made from fibreglass, sometimes with other 'high-tech' lightweight materials, such as Carbon Fibre, Kevlar and various composites, with a wooden rear axle. They are fully capable of reaching 70mph.

The class 5 is much smaller than the 3 and 2, and is a very different shape. The pilot still sails the yacht lying down, but unlike the 3 and 2 he lies in a seat, depending on the design, suspended or cantilevered from/off the chassis, rather than inside the body. The chassis are usually steel and aluminium with a fibreglass, or Carbon/Kelar 'seat' The widely claimed attainable speed in this class is 60mph. But some have been faster, 70ish.

The Standart Class is unique in that a requirement is that all yachts are identical. They are much like class 5 in design, although unlike any other class where design specifications are flexible to an extent, these are one-design supplied by french manufacturer, Seagull. This class is popular because it means the outcome of a competition is entirely with the pilot, as the yachts cannot give an advantage or disadvantage.

Parakarting, or kite buggying is classified as Class 8. Class 7 is similar to a skateboard with a sail like a landborne windsurfer. These are often not permitted as part of sand yacht clubs, and feature as more of a hobby than a full sporting aspect of land sailing.

Land sailing is featured in Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt novel, Sahara.

[edit] European Championships

One of the largest international events in the sport are the European championships, in which competitors of all classes from all over europe travel to a sand yachting venue for a week long competition. The next of these is to take place at Wirral Sand Yacht Club on Hoylake beach in September 2007.

[edit] See also

• kite buggying
• Ice yachting
• kiteboarding
• land windsurfing

[edit] External links

• An Introduction to Land Sailing
• bloKart® - land sailing equipment maker based in New Zealand
• British Federation of Sand & Land Yacht Clubs
• International Land Sailing Association
• Landsailing Tours - land sailing tour guide & outfitter based in the USA
• Midstates Land Sailing Association
• NALSA - North American Land Sailing Association
• Landsailing in Chile - Landsailing in Chile and Argentina
• Sailing Through School - A r/c landsailing organization
• Wirral Sand Yacht Club - One of the major clubs in Britain, based at Hoylake - Hosts of the European Championships in 2007.
• Anglia Land Yacht Club - One of the major clubs in the UK for landsailing and training. The club is one of the few to be based on an airfield circuit.
• http://www.clsc.uk.net/ Camarthenshire Land Sailing Club, based at the Cefn Sidan beach at Pembrey and also Pendine beach.

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