Land Sailing
Land sailing is the sport practiced in a wheeled vehicle that is powered not by an engine but by the wind, by means of a sail. Both recreational and practical in functionality, land sailing has been practiced as a sport since the 50s; it is also known under the name of sand or land yachting, while the vehicle is called sail wagon or land yacht. This vehicle is normally three-wheeled, following the same concept of the sailboat, and the “sailor”/pilot sits or lies, changing position with the help of pedals and hand levers. What are the best locations to practice land sailing?
Wind is undoubtedly the key element here; hence, flat, windy areas are the best geographical perimeters to house such races: beaches, deserts, air fields dry lake beds and so on. In ancient cultures like the Chinese or the Egyptian ones, land sailing was considered a leisure activity just as it is today. This is the case with the 6th century AD “wind-driven” carriages in China or the Egyptian land yachts designed as a copy of the sailboats used on the Nile River. The working principles have remained the same, it is the manufacturing techniques that has evolved in time.
There are several types of sand yachts used for land sailing, and according to their distinct features, such vehicles compete in different classes. Thus, the largest yachts in land sailing competitions are known as Class 2. They all have very large masts with big sails that lend significant power to the vehicles; yet, the size could be an impediment to reaching high speed. More popular than Class 2 is Class 3 that is very similar in design, but on a smaller scale. Designed according to high-tech principles, such yachts make land sailing really fast. Usually made of fiberglass, Kevlar and carbon fiber, these vehicles will get a 60miles per hours during a race.
Among the top locations for land sailing we should definitely mention some beaches in the United Kingdom and France: Wirral Peninsula, Newborough, Anglesey in Wales as well as the Black Rock Desert in the United States. Land sailing is also practiced in New Zealand, Australia and Argentina as well as in other locations known to the connoisseurs. Though far from being a national or Olympic game, land sailing is fun and really awakens one's enthusiasm; moreover, modern technology allows for a carrying on of a tradition that reminds us of the times when people were far from the age of the automobile.