WindPower Sports Kite Store - Home Page

  • Stunt Kites
  • Single Line Kites
  • Power Kites
  • Revolution Kites
  • Kite Flying Line
  • Kite Stakes
  • Kite Winders & Reels
  • Kite Buggies
  • Mountainboards

Landsailers

  • Wind Gauges
  • Wind Powered Vehicles
  • Manta Landsailers

Manta Landsailer

Manta Landsailer

Where to Buy

  • A Wind of Change
  • Specifications

Manta Landsailers

The single-seat WinJammer landsailer and the two-place TwinJammer landsailer are the land yachts that revolutionized landsailing. These wind powered vehicles use the materials and design concepts of ultra-light gliders, Manta has created landsailers so light, yet so rugged and potent. They give high performance landsailing on any hard, flat surface - your local parking lot, beach, dry lake bed , or field. Using the natural free energy of the wind, you can accelerate quickly to over twice the speed of the wind! The current landsailing speed record is 126.1 mph , set March 27th 2009 on the Ivanpah dry lake bed 45 minutes outside of Las Vegas.

Ladsailing with a Manta

The Manta can be set up for landsailing action in 5 minutes. The ultra-lightness is revolutionary because it permits exciting operation even in small areas. The WinJammer weighs just 70 lbs, with a fully battened sail of 45 sq/ft and a turning radius under 6 feet. The TwinJammer weighs 105 lbs, carries 59 sq/ft of sail and has a turning radius of 8.5 feet. The incredible acceleration and maneuverability let them make the most of any site.

For more information on the sport of landsailing please visit the North American Land Sailing Association and check out the article on landsailing and kite buggies in the Las Vegas View . For more pictures please visit our Landsailing Picture Gallery . Need TwinJammer parts or WinJammer parts for your Manta Landsailer? We can get them for you.

Manta landsailers come complete. The only upgrades are a reinforced rear axle, a hex ratchet block and bracket. These upgrades are strongly recommended.

Manta Landsailer Specifications

ModelTop SpeedTurning RadiusSail AreaLengthWheel BaseAxle WidthChassis & Wheel WeightMast, Boom & Sail Weight
WinJammer60 6′45 Square Feet10′6′5.3′55 Pounds15 Pounds
TwinJammer75 8.5′59 Square Feet12.2′8.6′7.2′85 Pounds20 Pounds

Manta Landsailing Video

Manta Landsailer Photos

Manta Landsailer

Manta TwinJammer Two Seater

Manta WinJammer

Manta WinJammer Single Seat

Manta TwinJammer Landsailer

Pilot's View from a Landsailer.

Manta Landsailers Racing

Manta TwinJammer (Left) and WinJammer (Right)

Landsailing on a dry lake bed

Kite Flying How to Guides

  • Best Places to Go Fly a Kite
  • Stunt Kite Flying Guide for Beginners
  • Stunt Kite Trick Video Guide
  • Power Kite Basic for Beginners
  • Single Line Kite Guide
  • How to Use a Kite Winder
  • Kite Buggy Guide
  • Flying the Revolution
  • Fighter Kite Flying Guide
  • Kite Aerial Photography Guide
  • Kites and Kids

Photo Galleries

  • Stunt Kite Pictures
  • Single Line Kite Pictures
  • Kite Buggy Pictures
  • Landsailer Pictures

Kiting Resources

  • Ivanpah Dry Lake

Copyright © 1999 — 2022 WindPower Sports | Privacy Policy | Contact Us

Boat Pursuits Logo

How Do Land Yachts Work? (Discover the World of Land Yachting)

land yacht sail

Have you ever dreamed of sailing through the air, feeling the rush of wind in your hair? Well, you don’t need the ocean to achieve this feeling – you can experience the thrill and freedom of land yachting! A land yacht is a lightweight vehicle that’s propelled by wind and steered with a sail, allowing you to glide across land with ease.

In this article, we’ll explore the world of land yachting – from the design of a land yacht to the safety tips you should keep in mind.

So get ready to experience an adventure like no other – let’s discover how land yachts work !.

Table of Contents

Short Answer

Land yachts are a type of sail-powered vehicle that is designed to move over land, usually on a flat surface.

They use a sail to catch the wind and propel the vehicle forward, similar to a sailboat.

The driver of a land yacht uses the rudder to steer, and can also adjust the sail and the height of the mast to adjust the speed.

Land yachts can reach high speeds, making them popular for recreational use.

What is a Land Yacht?

A land yacht is a type of sailboat designed to traverse the open terrain of land rather than the ocean or other bodies of water.

These yachts are typically equipped with a three-wheeled frame, a large sail, and a rotating mast that can be adjusted to catch the wind.

The wheels are used to steer the yacht, providing an exciting and adventurous ride that allows people to explore open areas such as deserts and beaches.

The land yachts design is tailored to harness the power of the wind and its ability to propel the yacht forward.

The position of the sail and the angle of the mast can be adjusted to maximize the yachts speed, while the wheels are able to provide directional control in order to steer the yacht.

Land yachts are a unique and fun way to explore open areas, and have become increasingly popular in recent years.

They provide an exhilarating experience, and can be a great way to experience the outdoors in a new and exciting way.

Land yachting is becoming a popular activity for those looking for an adrenaline-filled adventure, and can be a great way to explore the world around you.

The Design of a Land Yacht

land yacht sail

Land yachts are designed with a frame that is usually made from aluminum or steel, and can be built in a variety of sizes to accommodate a single rider or a larger group.

The three-wheeled frame is designed to allow for a stable ride and easy maneuverability, and the wheels are typically made from a lightweight material such as plastic or rubber.

The sail is mounted on a rotating mast, which can be adjusted to catch the wind effectively and propel the yacht forward.

The mast is also adjustable to allow for the changing direction of the wind, and the steering of the yacht is done via the wheels.

In addition to the frame and sail, land yachts come with rigging, which is the set of ropes and pulleys that attach the sail to the frame and mast.

This rigging is adjustable and can be adjusted to capture the wind more effectively, allowing for greater speed and control.

The rigging also includes a brake system that allows the rider to slow down or stop the yacht with ease.

Land yachts also come in a variety of styles and designs, from traditional sailboats to modern, aerodynamic designs.

The frame and sail can also be customized to suit the riders needs, with color and design choices available to make the yacht look unique and stylish.

Overall, land yachts are designed to provide an exciting and adventurous ride on land, allowing riders to explore open areas such as deserts or beaches.

With the adjustable rigging and frame, the yacht can be tailored to the riders needs, allowing for a safe and comfortable ride.

How a Land Yacht is Propelled

The key to land yachts is how they are propelled.

It uses the power of the wind to move the vehicle, much like a sailboat does in the water.

This is done by mounting a large sail to a rotating mast that can be adjusted to catch the wind.

The wind then fills the sail, providing thrust and pushing the yacht forward.

The sail can be adjusted to catch the wind coming from different directions, allowing the land yacht to change direction and navigate around obstacles.

The wheels of the land yacht are used to steer it, allowing it to turn in different directions.

The size of the sail is important when it comes to propelling the land yacht.

The bigger the sail, the more wind it can catch, and the faster the vehicle can go.

The size of the sail can be adjusted to suit the conditions of the environment, allowing the land yacht to travel at a comfortable speed.

It is also possible to adjust the angle of the sail to make it more efficient, allowing the yacht to make the most of the available wind.

In addition to the sail, some land yachts also have a motorized propeller that can be used to help propel the vehicle.

This can be helpful if there is not enough wind to fill the sail, or if the terrain is too challenging for the yacht to travel through.

The motorized propeller can also be used to help the yacht travel up steep hills or through shallow waters.

Land yachts are an exciting way to explore open areas such as deserts and beaches.

They provide a unique and thrilling ride, with the rider able to take advantage of the wind to travel quickly and navigate around obstacles.

With a little practice, anyone can master the art of land yachting and enjoy the adventure of exploring new places.

Steering a Land Yacht

land yacht sail

Steering a land yacht is a unique experience that requires skill and practice.

Unlike a boat that uses a rudder to control its direction, a land yacht uses its wheels to steer.

The wheels are connected to the sail by a complicated system of ropes and pulleys.

By adjusting the angle of the sail in relation to the wind, the yacht will turn left or right depending on the direction of the wind.

Additionally, the wheels can be used to turn the yacht in the same manner as a car.

In order to steer a land yacht, the driver must be familiar with the principles of sailing and the forces that act upon the sail.

The driver must be aware of the wind direction and the angle of the sail relative to the wind.

The driver must also be aware of the terrain in order to choose the best line for the yacht to travel.

The driver must also pay close attention to the rope and pulley system connected to the wheels and the sail.

By adjusting the ropes, the driver can make small adjustments to the sail in order to optimize the yachts speed and direction.

This can be a difficult task, as the driver must maintain a delicate balance between speed, direction, and terrain.

The most important part of steering a land yacht is practice.

With enough practice, a driver can master the art of sailing and be able to maneuver their yacht with ease.

With practice, a driver can become an expert at land yachting and enjoy the thrill of exploring open areas with the wind at their back.

The Benefits of Land Yachting

Land yachting is an exciting and adventurous way to explore open areas such as deserts and beaches.

It offers a unique experience that is not found in traditional sailing, allowing you to explore new places and have a thrilling ride.

Land yachting has many benefits that make it a great activity for those who want to try something new and exciting.

First, land yachting is a much simpler form of sailing than traditional sailing.

It requires less skill to learn and operate, and is generally easier to maneuver.

This makes it a great option for anyone looking to take up a new hobby or just enjoy some time on the water.

Second, land yachting is often much less expensive than traditional sailing.

Since land yachts are designed to be used on land, they often require less maintenance and upkeep than traditional sailing vessels.

This makes them more affordable, allowing more people to enjoy the experience.

Third, land yachting is a great way to explore and experience new places.

Since land yachts are designed to be used on land, they are able to access places that traditional sailing vessels cannot.

This makes it a great way to explore areas that may otherwise be inaccessible.

Finally, land yachting is a great way to get exercise.

While sailing, you will be active and moving, which can help to keep your heart healthy and your muscles strong.

Additionally, being in the sun can help to give you a healthy dose of Vitamin D.

Overall, land yachting is an exciting and adventurous way to explore open areas such as deserts and beaches.

With its simplicity, affordability, and ability to access remote areas, land yachting is an appealing activity that anyone can enjoy.

Where to Go Land Yachting

land yacht sail

Land yachting can be an incredibly exciting and adventurous experience.

Whether you’re looking for a thrilling day trip or a weekend getaway, land yachting is a great way to explore the great outdoors and take in the sights and sounds of nature.

Land yachting is an activity that can be enjoyed on a variety of terrains, from beaches and deserts to open fields and more.

For those looking to explore the great outdoors, land yachting is a great way to get out and about and explore the world in a unique and fun way.

Beaches and deserts are great places to try out land yachting, since they provide plenty of open space and the wind can be used to propel the yacht.

Open fields, such as large grassy areas or fields with no trees, can also be great spots to go land yachting.

Another great place to try out land yachting is on a lake.

Lakes provide plenty of open area for the wind to catch the sail and propel the yacht, and it’s a great way to explore the natural beauty of the area.

Lakes are also less likely to have obstacles such as trees or rocks that can get in the way, which makes it a great option for those looking for a safe and enjoyable experience.

No matter where you choose to go land yachting, it’s important to make sure you have the right equipment and supplies.

Make sure you have the right size sail for the wind conditions in the area, as well as a helmet and protective clothing.

It’s also important to be aware of the terrain and make sure there are no obstacles that could get in the way.

Land yachting is a great way to explore the outdoors and take in the sights and sounds of nature.

With the right safety precautions and equipment, land yachting can be an exciting and unique experience that can be enjoyed by the whole family.

So why not give it a try? It’s sure to be a great adventure!.

Safety Tips for Land Yachting

Land yachting is a thrilling and adventurous way to explore open areas such as deserts and beaches, but it is important to remember that safety should always come first.

Before you set out on your land yachting expedition, there are a few key safety tips to remember: 1.

Wear protective clothing Land yachting can be a fast and bumpy ride, so make sure to dress appropriately.

Wear a sturdy pair of shoes, long pants, and a long-sleeved shirt to protect yourself from any debris that may be kicked up.

Wear a helmet Land yachting can be a dangerous activity, and you should always be prepared for the worst.

Wear a helmet to protect your head in case of an accident.

Check the weather Make sure to check the weather forecast before you set out on your journey.

Strong winds can make land yachting dangerous, so make sure the conditions are suitable for your activity.

Check your equipment Before you go, make sure to check that all your equipment is in good working order.

Check your sail and mast to make sure they are properly rigged and adjusted, and make sure your wheels are secure and in good condition.

Stay aware While land yachting, be aware of your surroundings at all times.

Pay attention to any changes in the wind direction, look out for any obstacles, and be ready to adjust your course if necessary.

By following these safety tips, you can make sure that you have a safe and enjoyable land yachting experience.

Remember to always use caution and common sense, and you’ll be sure to have a great time.

Final Thoughts

Land yachting is an exciting, adventurous way to explore the world! With its unique design, a land yacht is propelled by the wind and steered by its wheels, making it a thrilling ride.

With the right safety precautions, land yachting can be an unforgettable experience.

So what are you waiting for? Get out there and explore the world of land yachting today!.

James Frami

At the age of 15, he and four other friends from his neighborhood constructed their first boat. He has been sailing for almost 30 years and has a wealth of knowledge that he wants to share with others.

Recent Posts

When Was Banana Boat Song Released? (HISTORICAL INSIGHTS)

The "Banana Boat Song" was released in 1956 by Harry Belafonte. This calypso-style song, also known as "Day-O," became a huge hit and remains popular to this day for its catchy tune and upbeat...

How to Make Banana Boat Smoothie King? (DELICIOUS RECIPE REVEALED)

To make a Banana Boat Smoothie King smoothie at home, start by gathering the ingredients: a ripe banana, peanut butter, chocolate protein powder, almond milk, and ice. Blend the banana, a scoop of...

North American Land Sailing Association

Home | Events | Clubs | Classes | Rules | Images | Links | For Sale | Suppliers | Forums | Sail Numbers | FAQ | Speed Records | Archives

New Land Speed Record

225.58 km/h, 140.17 mph by Glenn Ashby, Emirates Team New Zealand on So. Australia's Lake Gardner. https://emirates-team-new-zealand.americascup.com/en/news.html

ALC Results 2024 SailWave

ALC Results 2023

ALC Results 2022

Holy Gale results (2019)

America's Landsailing Cup (ALC) results 2019

America's Land Sailing Cup is a week-long, annual event usually occurring in the last full week of March. For many years, and currently, it is held on Ivanpah Dry Lake California , just east of Interstate 15. Near the resort casinos at Primm, Nevada. Typically, it is the largest landsailing event in the U.S.

CLASS FIRST PLACE SECOND PLACE THIRD PLACE
NALSA II Dennis Bassano John Eisenlohr Keith Ligler
NALSA III Alan Wirtanen Lance Hossack
Brandon Frost
FISLY 3/FORMULA 3 Dennis Bassano John Eisenlohr Keith Ligler
STANDART Renée Fields Anke Muench Ross Groelz
MANTA TWIN Renée Fields Nils Muench  Carl Eberly
MANTA SINGLE Anke Muench Sheila Eberly Nils Muench
FYSLY 5 Blake Learmonth Jay Mclow
Glen Monahan
SPORTSMAN (overall)
Renée Fields Anke Muench Blake Learmonth
MINI SKEETER Will Eisenlohr Dave Gluec Jim Gluec
Email NALSA

Wind Wizard Land Sailing

  • 2024-calendar
  • Intro / Contact
  • Wizard Wear
  • Makes and Models of Yachts

MAKES AND MODELS... The Novice Sailors Somewhat Definitive  Guide to Landyachts

Blokart - A 55 lb collapsible single-place yacht best  suited for the apartment  dweller.   Can run on large courses,  but has a distinct advantage on  small, tight courses on  parking lots or parks.   Blokart is head  quartered in Bay of  Plenty, New Zealand, but is well disseminated in  Europe and  the United States.   Blokarts are a recent arrival, at  least  in the American market. . Chubasco - An old "iron"  ship from the sixties or  seventies.   Practically indestructible,  although quite heavy  by today's standards.   The name Chubasco is one of  the many  variant names for hot, dry foehn   winds, like Santa  Ana,  Scirroco, and Chinook.   These boats were produced around the  mid  1960s. Dart - Another "oldie" also noted for high  weight  numbers.   Darts can keep sailing when all of the little  boats  have gone home.   In his article on "Landsailing in  America" Nord  Embroden cites such high wind conditions as  "Dart Weather." Duster - A Nord Design boat with a plywood deck and  aluminum frame.   Low  production numbers, but the same great    durability found in all of the  Nord Design boats.   The boat  has at least two sail sizes; a standard and a storm. Fed Five - A European favorite.   Named for its  5  square meter sail size. It is light in weight and the pilot  is very  low to the ground.   The open cockpit has the pilot  lying back in a near  prone position.   Fed fives are very  fast and sail well in light winds.  No Longer racing in the US. Freedom - A Nord Desisgn similar to the Spirit, only  with a lighter, welded aluminum frame. Friendship - A Nord Design from the mid 1970s.   The  largest of the Nord Design  production line weighing in at  close to 500 pounds.   The striking  features of this boat  include an enclosed cockpit, and aerodynamic  wingmast, and  automobile tires.   They are a little hard to sail in  very  light air, but can still be seen screaming across the playa  in even the heaviest of sailable conditions.   Friendships  aren't noted  competing with the latest carbon-fiber boats  when winds are light, but  can kick some serious tail when  the aerometer climbs above 25 mph.   The  former land speed  record was set in a Friendship at 88 mph.    Unofficial  reports are even higher .

International 5.6 Minis -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIqvDodZlxI

Manta Single - By  far the most popular name in U.S.  landsailing.   The single sports a  plastic patio chair (sans  legs) for a "cockpit" and is a rugged boat by  all standards.    Along with its stable mate, the Twinjammer, the  Manta  single dominates the landsailing scene purely by virtue of  its  large numbers. As ubiquitous as the Volkswagen Beetle in  1960s America,  the Manta line sports sufficient numbers to  be called the most  successful one-design boat in American  landsailing. Manta Twinjammer - The hammock-style seat on the Twin  helps distinguish it from the  Single.   Although the sail is larger, it is not so noticeable unless the two are  side-by-side.   The Twin was an answer to both  sailing  instruction and romance.   The ability to put two  persons  side-by-side in a landsailer is something that few designs  could accommodate.   When sailing solo the larger sail area  also helps take  advantage of lower wind velocities that  leave the Manta single behind.    Both the Single and the Twin  are in constant demand.   Used boats don't  stay on the market  for long. Twins are great for introducing new people to the sport, as well sailing a nicely overpowered land yacht solo!

Mini Skeeters - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brejAOyyivs Pacific Magic - Australia's  answer to the Fed Five.    Many are home built from plans made available  from one of  the Ozzie Yacht clubs.   The fiberglass bodies are  available  in a ready-made condition that helps expedite  construction.    In addition to the horizontal orientation of the pilot,  the  high aspect ratio wheels are canted in about 10 degrees. Pterodactyl  - A monster of a boat, few of which are  still sailed.   Although they were sailed competitively at  one time, they are nearly extinct on the racing circuit now.    Rumors do exist that they are capable of tremendous  top  speed, so don't be surprised if one of them makes it way  back into  the limelight in the speed circuit. Spirit - Another Nord  Design from the early 1970s.    The Spirit production ran about 19 copies. Available in  either ready-made or kit form, these boats were comprised  of  a heavy fiberglass open-cockpit body laid over a steel  frame  constructed from hollow box tubes.   The body rises behind  the  pilot's head to form a roll bar of sorts, protecting the  pilot in the  event of a mast failure following a roll-over.    The eleven foot wide  axle is comprised of three layers of  vertical grain Douglas Fir  overwrapped in fiberglass.   The  mast is a round pole and the sail simply slips over the mast  like a sock.   It is stayed by wire cables on each  side and  to the front.   Too heavy to compete with modern  carbon-fiber  boats equipped with wingmasts, it is still a high  performer  in strong winds and sufficient numbers of them are  still  around to sport a one-design class. Standart - A  French design that is big in Europe and  gaining interest in the U.S.    Standart has licensed two  non-European   builders, Nord Design in  California, and  IMACNZ in Palmerston, New Zealand.   They are fast,  light,  and sexy!   The Standart fills a gap between the entry class  boats like the omnipresent Mantas and the bigger,  high-dollar boats.   Their  primary appeal, other than being  eye-catching, is that they have a  readily adjustable  steering bar which can accomodate pilots from 5' to  over 6  1/2'.   They are still a bit tight for those pushing over  200  pounds.   Large feet will need small shoes in order to have  adequate  steering performance.

US MINI 6.7 -   https://www.nalsa.org/miniintro.htm

Wind Puff - A Nord Design for kids.    There is no boom  and the sail can be reefed to control just how much  surface  area can be captured by the wind.   A great boat for teaching  the youngest ones the fundamentals of sailing.

EXAMPLES of many of these boats can be seen on the NALSA web  site's photo  gallery . Many other designs exist, some as  one-of-a-kinds and some as limited production runs.   YouTube also has videos for more viewing.

GLOSSARY OF SOME LANDSAILING TERMS: Asymmetrical  boat -   A specialty boat design to do  only one thing... Go FAST!!!   Because  the boat can be  engineered   along an asymmetrical design, it can  take  advantage of certain characteristics of rolling friction,  lateral  resistance, drag, "lift", etc.   These boats are not  capable of sailing  to all points of the compass, as they  generally sail in only one  direction.   Although the  asymmetrical " Iron  Duck " holds the current land speed record for a  landyacht it won't win any  other races.   Some individuals in  the sport are giving consideration to  applying class labels  to the speed titles.   This would enable a broader  reach for  others interested in improving the capabilities the many  other styles of landyachts. One Design - Boats that were all  manufactured to the  same specifications.   One-of-a-kind boats don't  qualify  here.   A series of boats all identically produced eliminates  all but the pilots sailing skills from the competitive  equation.   Boats  sailed in this category are not evidence of  how much money the owner can throw at his boat, but rather  how much sailing prowess is possessed by  the person at the  helm. Racing Classes - In the U.S. Classes are determined  solely by sail size.    Class 5 (49 sq. ft.) Class 4 (59 sq. ft.) Class 3 (79.1 sq. ft.) Class 2 (121.6 sq. ft.) Additionally boats manufactured from a single design are  often raced in the "One Design" category such as: Manta single (45 sq. feet) Manta Twin (59 sq. ft.) Fed 5 (5-sq. meter) Standart Friendship In Europe, and perhaps other venues, the Classes are  determined by a combination of sail and boat size.    At combined events, like the World Championships where  both  organizations are present, the trophies are awarded by each  group  according to their respective classes. Symmetrical  boa t - A boat capable of sailing in any  direction.   Most landyachts fall into this category. Sail Numbers - Assigned by either the manufacturer,  sometimes as a serial number, or  by the sailing  organization.   NALSA sail numbers generally have a US  prefix  and are assigned by the NALSA official accessible through  the NALSA web site .    Sailing Organizations - NALSA, in the U.S. and FISLY,  in Europe, set and monitor racing in  their respective areas.    The rules for class entry, sail size, etc. vary between the  two organizations.   Their rules apply only to  those  participating in sanctioned events.   Sport sailors are  pretty much left to their own devices.   These organizations  promote racing, design, safety, and general activities  related to landsailing.

Make a free website with Yola

Advertisement

How Land Sailing Works

  • Share Content on Facebook
  • Share Content via Email

land yacht sail

Imagine this: You're in your small sailboat, skimming along at speeds that top 50 or 60 miles per hour. The wind whips your face. Exhilarated, you skillfully guide your craft, moving the sail to adjust your speed. The landscape is a blur until you gradually head up into the wind and allow your sailboat to slow to a stop.

Then you step out of your boat, smiling, and walk over to the shade where your friends have been sitting, watching you sail.

No, you aren't walking on water. You're participating in an extreme sport called land sailing .

Some historians trace land sailing back to ancient Egypt and other cultures that used vehicles with sails for land transportation. Drawings exist of land sailors on the beaches of Belgium in the 1500s [source: Bassano ]. These days, land sailing is popular in Europe, where it's called sand sailing . Boats race along sandy beaches at low tide, and racers may attract big-name sponsors. Land sailing also is popular in New Zealand, Brazil and other places with wide, open spaces.

In the United States, land sailing gained popularity in the late 1960s and has been growing and evolving since. Racing dominates the sport, with events like the annual Americas Landsailing Cup regatta. In 2010, the event will take place March 21 through the 26 in Primm, Nev. But enthusiasts also enjoy recreational sailing.

Most racing happens on the dry lakes (playas) of high deserts. Land sailors also can be found on some beaches and even on sports fields and in parking lots.

The North American Landing Sailing Association (NALSA), an organization of individual land sailing groups, was formed in 1972. NALSA affiliated itself with the older International Land and Sandyachting Federation (FISLY) in Europe, which had developed rules and standards for its races [source: Embroden ].

Mark Harris, NALSA treasurer, said regular land sailors in the United States number in the hundreds, as compared to the thousands in Europe [source: Harris ]. But NALSA leaders expect more people to take up the sport, because it's relatively inexpensive, safe and environmentally friendly. Prices of popular models such as the Manta start at less than $2,000 [source: Wind ]. You don't need a dock, and the boat uses no fuel.

And best of all, land sailing is thrilling. Interested in trying your sea -- make that land -- legs? Read on to learn more about what makes land sailboats go.

The Physics of Land Sailing

Land sailing conditions, land sailing tips, land sailing safety.

Sailing on water and sailing on land have some things in common, but they also have a lot of differences. In fact, a land sailboat is really more comparable to a glider on wheels than a sailboat [source: Weber ].

Land sailboats usually have three wheels and one sail. They go too fast to use jibs or spinnakers. (Jibs and spinnakers are the two main types of headsails, or sails used in front of the mainsail, on sailboats.) Made by several manufacturers, land sailboats range in size from a sailboard (sort of like a surfboard with a sail) on wheels to a huge land yacht.

In smaller boats, the sailor may sit or lie on the frame. Usually, sailors steer with their feet, moving a T-bar , which basically is two pedals. You push with the right foot to turn left, and with the left foot to turn right. Steering with the feet leaves the hands free to use a rope (also called a line or sheet) to maneuver the sail. The sail is used primarily to adjust speed, not for steering. For some maneuvers, such as going around a racing maker, the land sailor will use the sail, but mostly just to adjust the speed to allow for accurate steering [source: Bassano ].

One brand, BloKart, uses a hand-operated tiller, so disabled people can sail.The tiller is a lever that helps steer; on a BloKart, it's attached to the wheels, while on a sailboat, it's attached to the rudder underwater that steers the boat [source: Blokart ]. In larger boats, the sailor may be enclosed except for the eyes and top of the head in a long, low craft. These sailors look like they've been stuffed, in a reclining position, into a close-fitting rocket ship or experimental aircraft with a sail. In racing, rules in some classes say that standard boats cannot be modified, while open classes regulate only the size of the sail and allow sailors to experiment with designs.

What attracts many people to land sailing is the speed. The speed record, set by Richard Jenkins in March 2009 at Ivanpah Dry Lake on the Nevada-California border, is 126.2 miles per hour (203.1 kilometers per hour). The wind that day was 40 miles per hour (64.4 kilometers per hour) [source: NALSA ].

The physics at work is the same as in water sailing, but the results are different because the conditions are different. Forces make things move, and forces can slow or stop moving objects. In sailing, the forces causing motion are the push of the wind on the sail and the pull of the air passing over the curve of the sail, creating lift much like on an airplane wing (but imagine it turned sideways). The forces holding back a water sailboat are the friction of the water on the hull and some friction of air on the boat and sails.

Land sailboats can go faster because their wheels face much less friction on dry surfaces. Because the whole boat is exposed to the air, land sailors meet more air friction, but that doesn't slow a boat nearly as much as water friction [source: Brinson ].

Land sailing isn't just sitting back and letting the wind push the boat, though. Sailors must move the boat side to side to maintain that lift.

What's it like to go land sailing? Read on.

land yacht sail

If you try serious land sailing, you're likely to be high as well as dry. The most popular places for land sailing in the United States are on dry lakes in the high deserts in California, Nevada and other Western states.

Dennis Bassano, North American Landing Sailing Association (NALSA) president, estimates that about half of land sailors started out as sailors on water. The rest of them are often people who ride motorcycles or all-terrain vehicles or people who try other sports on America's high deserts and happen to see land sailors while in the area. People see how fast land sailboats can go and want give it a try. There's also a lot of crossover with ice boaters, who in the summer switch out their runners for wheels and take up land sailing.

The primary season for land sailing is March through November. In between, rains make the dry lakes muddy bogs. The federal Bureau of Land Management allows land sailing on some public lands and even encourages it. Powered only by wind, land sailing has less impact on the environment than many sports do [source: Bureau of Land Management ].

Some popular land-sailing sites include:

  • Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conversation Area in northwestern Nevada
  • Ivanpah Dry Lake, on the California-Nevada border, near Primm, Nev.
  • The Alvord Desert in Oregon
  • El Mirage Dry Lake near Victorville, Calif.

People who don't live near dry lakes sometimes sail on beaches at low tide, although most American beaches are too regulated or populated. Some people with smaller boats sail on athletic fields, in parking lots or on airstrips, when they can get permission. It takes more skill to sail in these smaller areas, where the boat is more likely to run into an obstruction.

On the dry lakes, the atmosphere is likely to be dusty, and the temperatures can be high. Sailors won't notice the heat once they get going, of course. Unlike in Europe, land sailing sites in the United States tend to be remote, without many amenities. Many people combine sailing with camping.

Read the next page for some tips on land sailing.

Take it easy, matey. If land sailing sounds interesting to you, don't just rush out and buy a dirtboat. Do a little research first:

  • Rentals and charter trips are available, especially in the Western United Sates, for those who want to try before they buy. Such trips can be a fun vacation as well as a way to decide if you're serious about the sport.
  • Attend local land sailing events to see what's involved. Many events are held spring through fall. The North American Land Sailing Association's Web site is a good place to learn about events and clubs in various locations.
  • Talk to land sailing enthusiasts. Most are passionate about their sport. They love to talk and want the sport to grow.
  • Investigate the various kinds of boats. They range widely in size and price. Land sailing is less expensive than water sailing.
  • Attend the annual America's Landsailing Cup to get a good look at the different types of boats in action.
  • Think about your goals: Do you just want to have fun, or might you want to get into racing? If you like to tinker, you might want to work with your own design in the open classes where the only restriction is the area of the sail [source: Harris ].

But with those high speeds, can land sailing be safe? Keep reading to find out.

Land sailing is a little like real estate: Location, location and location. People who live near or visit the high deserts in the American West with their dry lake beds find ideal conditions. But land sailing enthusiasts in less ideal locations sometimes have to be a little more creative, heading for airstrips, large parking lots, stadiums and other open expanses. One of the most unusual sites ever used for land sailing in the United States was the cornfields in Iowa owned by a farmer named Randy Harmon. Back in the early days of the sport in America -- the 1960s -- sailors would launch their boats in the fields after the crop had been cut. As Nord Embroden writes in his article about the history of land sailing in America posted on the NALSA Web site, the "corn stubble provided an adequate but bumpy surface" [source: Embroden ].

land yacht sail

Land sailboats often go four to five times the speed of the wind. With a minimal wind of 10 miles per hour (16 kilometers per hour), you can be racing along at 40 to 50 miles per hour (64 to 80 kilometers per hour). When the wind speed is higher, boats may go two to three times the wind speed. Speeds of 80 miles per hour (128.7 kilometers per hour) are not unusual.

If you're flying along that fast in a boat with no real brakes, you could run into trouble. But land sailing is usually one of the safest of the extreme sports, if sailors use common sense. The first bit of common sense is using protective gear. Land-sailing tours and rentals insist on its use, and most land sailors use it as a matter of choice.

The main types of protective gear are:

  • Helmets: a top priority.
  • Seat belt: Those who go land sailing on beaches usually don't wear seat belts for fear of turning over into the water and becoming trapped. But in the United States, where they are sailing on dry lakes or other hard surface, most people do buckle up.
  • Goggles or other eye wear
  • Pads: Knee and elbow pads are usually good. The need for other pads may be determined by the type of boat and the position of the sailor -- what body part is likely to take a beating. Some people use shin pads; some use back protectors.

The larger the area for sailing, the safer. On a huge dry lake, there's little to run into. If you have trouble figuring out how to slow or stop the boat, you have room to figure it out. So, how do you stop the boat? Essentially, you stop it by steering it directly into the wind. Coming to a complete halt may take quite a distance. Sailors in smaller boats may drag their feet to help when the boat has almost stopped. Larger, enclosed boats have something like a parking brake to bring the craft to a stop once its speed is down to 4 or 5 miles per hour (6.4 or 8 kilometers per hour).

Those who sail in smaller settings take more risks. In parking lots, sailors can run afoul of light poles and curbs. Problems can arise in popular land sailing areas. If too many boats are sailing close together, some are likely to run into each other.

One of the obvious safety advantages of land sailing over its water cousin is that land sailors are unlikely to drown. If something goes wrong, a land sailor can get out of the boat and start walking.

Until your skills are well developed, it's a good idea not to sail too far from camp or vehicle. If you injure yourself, you don't want to have to trek a long way across a dry desert lake to your vehicle [source: Bassano ].

For more information on sailing and other sports, check out the links on the next page.

Lots More Information

Related articles.

  • Extreme Sports Quiz
  • How Skateboarding Works
  • How Street Luge Works
  • How Longboarding Works
  • How Snowboarding Works
  • How Luge Works
  • How the X-Games Work
  • How Daredevils Work
  • How do you do a back flip in a wheelchair?
  • About Go Landsailing. (Dec. 15, 2009)http://www.golandsailing.com/?gclid=CKHjmMHr7J4CFUKZ2AodegryJw Go Land Sailing.com
  • "Alvord Desert." U.S. Bureau of Land Management.  http://www.blm.gov/or/resources/recreation/site_info.php?siteid=5
  • "An Introduction to Land Sailing." Sailing Ahead. (Dec. 21, 2009) http://www.sailingahead.com/information/land-sailing.htm
  • Bassano, Dennis. President, North American Land Sailing Association. Personal interview via telephone. (Dec. 19, 2009)
  • "BloKart: Best Toys on the Planet." BloKart. (Dec. 21, 2009)http://www.blokart.com/about.php
  • "Book a Trip -- Get Blown Away!" Land Sailing Tours LLC. (Dec. 22, 2009) http://www.golandsailing.com/reserve_california.htm
  • Brinson, Lloyd. M. Ed. in Physics, UNC Greensboro. High school physics teacher, retired. Personal interview. Dec. 22, 2009.
  • "Description of Land Sailing." Wind Chaser. (Dec. 21, 2009)http://www.wind-chaser.com/about/about-landsailing/landsailing-description.html
  • Embroden, Nord. "Landsailing in America." American Landsailing Federation Newsletter May 12, 1998. Reprinted on http://www.nalsa.org. (Dec. 15, 2009)http://www.nalsa.org/landsailing_in_america.htm
  • Harris, Mark. Treasurer, North American Land Sailing Association. Personal interview via e-mail, Dec. 19-20, 2009.
  • "Introduction to Land Sailing." Landsailing.Net. (Dec. 15, 2009)http://www.landsail.net/introduction_to_land_sailing.htm
  • "Ivanpah Dry Lake." U.S. Bureau of Land Management.http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/needles/ivanpah.print.html
  • "Manta landsailers." Windpower sports.com. (Dec. 23, 2009)http://www.windpowersports.com/landsailers/
  • North American Land Sailing Association. (Dec. 15, 19, 21, 22, 2009)http://www.nalsa.org
  • "Off-Highway Vehicle Areas & Trails." U.S. Bureau of Land Management.  http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/wfo/blm_programs/recreation/off-highway_vehicle.html
  • "The Sirocco, Sirocco Spring, and Sirocco Twin -- Great Fun, Outstanding Performance." Sirocco Land Sailer. (Dec. 21, 2009)http://www.windline.net/sirocco.htm
  • Weber, Robert. Southern vice president, North American Land Sailing Association. Personal interview via telephone, Dec. 19, 2009.
  • Weber, Robert. "Water Sailing vs. Hard Surface Sailing."http://www.modellandyachts.com

Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this HowStuffWorks.com article:

Person enjoying outdoors speed with fun headwear.

  • Outdoor Activities
  • Destinations
  • Book Hotels, Flights & Cars
  • Advertise With Us
  • Cookie Settings

Copyright © 2024 MapQuest Holdings LLC, a System1 Company

facebook

  • AMERICA'S CUP
  • CLASSIFIEDS
  • NEWSLETTERS
  • SUBMIT NEWS

GJW Direct 2024 Dinghy

Oldest videos of Land Yacht sailing

land yacht sail

Related Articles

land yacht sail

license

Introduction: Land Yacht

Land Yacht

For our senior design project, we were tasked with designing, analyzing, and building a land yacht. A land yacht is basically a wind-powered cart that supports a single rider who trims the sail and steers the cart. Our design utilizes a three-wheeled chassis to supports the rider while he/she trims the sail with his hands while steering with his feet. This instructable is a guide to building the land yacht. Once built, it can be used on most terrains, including sand, dirt, grass, or concrete.

1 - A500 Hot Roll Pipe (1.25" x Sch 40 x 60")

1 - A500 Hot Roll Pipe (1.25" x Sch 40 x 48")

2 - A500/A513 Hot Rolled Mild Steel Rectangle Tube (1" x 1.5" x 24")

1 - 6061-T6 Aluminum Pipe (1.25" x Sch 40 x 72")

1 - 6061-T6 Aluminum Pipe (1.25" x Sch 40 x 84")

Mast Collar

1 - Aluminum Pipe (2.0" x Sch 40 x 24")

1 - A500 Hot Roll Pipe (2" x Sch 40 x 12")

Mast/Boom Connector

1 - Model 2T-7 Aluminum-Magnesium Tee (1.25")

1 - 6061-T6 Aluminum Pipe (1.25" x Sch 40 x 60")

1 - A36 Hot Rolled Mild Steel Round Bar (0.625" x 48")

1 - Tapered Head Tube

1 - Sunlite Threaded MX Fork

1 - Mild Steel Round Bar (0.625" x 24")

5 - Rigid Pulleys (1.5")

2 - Sealed Ball Bearings (0.625" shaft diameter x 1.375" housing diameter)

1 - 550 Cord (15')

1 - Uline Solid Rubber Wheel (10" OD)

2 - Uline Pneumatic Wheel (10" OD)

1 - Triangular Sail (5' x 10.5')

Step 1: Tools Required

Metal Band Saw

Miter Grinder

Drill Press

Bench Grinder

Tap and Die Set

Sewing machine

Step 2: Measuring/Cutting the Sail

Measuring/Cutting the Sail

The first part of this build is preparing the sail for the land yacht. Our land yacht utilizes a sail that has a 5-foot boom and a height of 10.5 feet. This sail height was determined to work with the size of the land yacht. Our team used a much larger sail from a sailboat that will need to be cut to the right dimensions. The first measurement should be 10.5 feet from the top of the sail. The next measurement is 5 feet, horizontally on the sail. You will notice, however, that after you have measured 10.5 feet from the top, there is not enough room to extend 5 feet horizontally on the boom. Therefore, you will need to measure the height of the sail to be more than 10.5 feet until you reach 5 feet in length for the boom. This was accomplished with a sail height of 11.5 feet. Once the measurements are finished, you can now cut the sail. Make a straight, horizontal cut along the foot (bottom) end of the sail.

Step 3: Folding the Edges of the Sail

Folding the Edges of the Sail

In order to fit the mast and boom piping onto the sail, a sleeve will need to be created along the luff (height) and foot (bottom) sections of the sail. This sleeve should be measured at 3" in length. To measure, take one section of the sail and fold it over onto itself until you reach 3" in length. Then, mark this length in several sections to make it easier for yourself when sewing.

Step 4: Sewing the Sail

Sewing the Sail

Once the sail dimensions have been marked and the sleeve has been marked, it is ready to be sewn. The sewing must be done utilizing a sewing machine. If you do not know how to use a sewing machine you can watch videos to understand the process. Taking the bottom section of the sail, fold it back onto itself until it lines up with the marks you created. These marks are your guide as you are sewing the sail. Complete this for the bottom section and the top section of the sail.

Step 5: Final Cuts/sews of the Sail

Final Cuts/sews of the Sail

Remember that the sail height is currently at 11.5 feet. This needs to be taken down to 10.5 feet. Using scissors, cut off one foot of the top section of the sail. Make a horizontal cut. The top of this sail will now need to be sewn so that the sail threading does not unravel. Make a horizontal stitching at the top of the sail where it was cut. The clew end of the sail is currently open after making the sleeve. This end will need to be sewn shut. Fold the very end of the clew onto itself and sew this section closed. A 4" x 4" square will need to be cut and sewn at the tack end of the sail. This is in order for the mast-boom connector to fit.

Step 6: Rear Notching

Rear Notching

Parts: Main tube (A500 Hot Roll Pipe) Tools: Angle grinder, cutting wheel.

  • Using the rear tube as a guide for diameter, remove material from the end of the main tube as to fit the rear tube inside of the notch being created.

End Result: Rear tube fits snug into the main tube at a 90 degree angle ready for a strong weld.

Step 7: Front Notching

Front Notching

Parts: Main tube (A500 Hot Roll Pipe)

Tools: Horizontal/vertical metal cutting band saw, angle grinder, cutting wheel

  • Using the horizontal/vertical metal cutting band saw, cut a 45 degree angle from the front of the main tube. Ensure this operation is done at a 90 degree offset from the rear notching.
  • Notch the 45 degree cut to fit the head tube. This can be done with both the angle grinder and the cutting wheel.

End Result: The head tube fits into the notch ready for a strong weld.

Step 8: Rear Axle Threading

Rear Axle Threading

Parts: A36 Hot Rolled Mild Steel Round Bar (0.625" x 48")

Tools: Bench vice, vice grips, 5/8" Hex UNC threading die, cutting oil.

  • Place the rear axle in the axle into the bench vice so that it is perpendicular to the ground. Ensure the vice is tightened enough so that the axle does not move or rotates while threading.
  • Grip the 5/8" Hex UNC threading die TIGHTLY with the vice grips.
  • Place the 5/8" Hex UNC threading die over the axle and begin to rotate while applying a large downward force. Apply a generous amount of cutting fluid. (Use a team member to ensure the die is perpendicular to the axle. Once the first few threads have begin to cut, the rest will follow the path that they have made. So any any mistake made in the beginning will not self correct and will ruin the axle)
  • Continue to turn the die until two full inches have been completely threaded. Apply cutting oil often.After every 1/4 turn, counter rotate an 1/8 of a turn to brake the chips that have formed.
  • Repeat for the other side of the axle.

End result: Rear axle threaded 2" on both sides fitting a 5/8" UNC nut.

NOTE: To protect the threads, place a nut on finished threads while storing or working on axle.

Step 9: Rear Axle Assmbly

Rear Axle Assmbly

Parts: A500 Hot Roll Pipe (rear tube), A36 Hot Rolled Mild Steel Round Bar (threaded axle), 2x Uline Pneumatic Wheel (rear wheel), 2x Sealed Ball Bearings (rear bearings)

Tools: 2x adjustable wrench.

  • Using a file, remove an inch of this seam until rear axle bearing fits flush into rear tube.
  • Insert threaded axle into to rear tube. There should be 3" of excess axle protruding from each end of the rear tube. (This is where the rear wheels and but will be)
  • Insert rear bearings into the rear tube over the threaded axle. The bearings should be flush with the edge of the rear tube.
  • Place wheels onto the rear axle. Ensure that the the side of the wheels with the bearings (the "long part" is facing inwards touching the rear tube.

End Result: Completed rear axle Assembly with all mentioned parts. Wheels spin freely and do not rattle.

Step 10: Rear Brace Members

Rear Brace Members

Parts: 2x A500/A513 Hot Rolled Mild Steel Rectangle Tube (1" x 1.5" x 24")

Tools: Horizontal/vertical metal cutting band saw, angle grinder, cutting wheel.

  • Cut 45 degree angle on both ends of the brace member using the Horizontal/vertical metal cutting band saw. The cuts should be made, as shown, in an orientation to connect the main and rear tube together.
  • Using the angle grinder and cutting wheel, notch the brace member that that it cups the rear and main tube allowing for a strong weld to be made.
  • Repeat with the second brace member.

End Result:Finished brace members cut and notched to fit into the main and rear tube for extra support.

Step 11: Head Tube Assembly

Parts: Tapered Head Tube, Sunlite Threaded MX Fork, Head Tube Bearing Stack.

Tools: Adjustable wrench.

  • Using the instructions that came with the Head Tube Bearing Stack, assemble the first three components (bottom cup, bearing, and washer) onto the fork neck)
  • Place the Tapered Head Tube on the fork neck ensuring that the head tube is seated into the bottom cup pf the bearing stack.
  • Again using the included bearing stack instructions, place the bearing, top cup, and washer onto the fork. Ensure that the head tube is seated in the top cup. (the head tube should only be touching the top and bottom cup's and nothing else)
  • Using the provided head tube nut. Tighten the the bearing stack/head tube assembly onto the threaded fork. The head tube should have no wobble and should be able to easily spin freely.

End Result: Front fork, head tube, and bearing stack all successfully assembled to complete the front end assembly.

Step 12: Welding the Chassis

Once the head tube has been assembled and the chassis is all ready, it is time to have everything welded. The mast holder can be slid through the 5' chassis pipe. It should be slid 1' back from the front and welded there. The rear of the chassis, where the 5' and 3.5' pipes meet perpendicular, can be welded together. The 2' support beams, as seen in previous pictures, can be welded. The head tube will need to be welded to the front of the chassis at a 45-degree angle. Lastly, the foot bar can then be welded to the top of the fork, seated perpendicular and parallel to the ground.

Step 13: Mount a Seat

The seat you choose can be up to you based on your size and comfort needs. For this particular project we chose a typical cheap folding metal chair.

Saw the legs off just below the actual seat portion so that all you have is the back of the chair, and the supports that lead down only as far as the seat. The hinges that allow the chair to fold should also remain included so the back can fold down.

Arrange the chair where you want it to sit on the chassis, centered on the long part of the chassis, above the rear axle and over the supports. Mark out 3-4 spots in a triangle or square shape on the chassis that would fit under the metal seat portion of the chair.

Drill holes through the seat and through the steel chassis. Select a bolt that's long enough to go through the chair and chassis, secure everything together with a washer and nut.

Step 14: Mast Assembly

Mast Assembly

Because the mast is too long and too expensive to ship at its full length of 13 feet, you'll have to put the two pieces together as tightly as possible.

We used an aluminum collar with a 2" inner diameter that was just big enough to hold the outer diameters of the two main mast pieces. Slide both mast pieces into the collar where they meet roughly in the middle. Drill through the aluminum and secure with nuts and bolts that will reach all the way through. One or two bolts per mast piece should do. Try to sand out any sharp edges to avoid cutting your sail.

Similarly for the boom, you will bolt in a t-shaped pipe (mast-boom connector) to one end of the aluminum pipe. Make sure not to push the boom all the way through the intersection. That remaining space in the t-pipe should have an inner diameter significantly larger than the outer diameter of the mast because it will need to be able to swing around.

Before you slide the sail on and put everything together, mark out where on the boom you want to place your Eye Bolts (the bolts with the loop on the end). Then drill through and secure them with a nut. Mark the same spots on your sail where your boom will sit, you will need to cut small holes so the loop end will stick out from under the boom. This is where you will thread your paracord rigging.

  • Youth Sailing
  • Disabled Sailing
  • Event Calendar
  • Product Overview

Find Blokart Near You

  • Support and Manuals
  • Get in Touch
  • Become a Blokart Dealer
  • Rental Operation

land yacht sail

LOCAL CLUBS. NATIONAL EVENTS. WORLD CHAMPS.

GET INVOLVED

land yacht sail

FIND BLOKART NEAR YOU

RENTAL TRACKS. DEALERS. RACING CLUBS. PLACES TO SAIL.

land yacht sail

WHAT IS A BLOKART?

EXPLORE NOW

land yacht sail

YOUTH SAILING

LEARN SAILING FUNDAMENTALS.

land yacht sail

BLOKART RIDERS ARE PUSHING THE LIMITS OF LAND SAILING AROUND THE WORLD.

WATCH THEIR STORIES

SHOP THE BLOKART STORE

land yacht sail

PRO BLOKART

land yacht sail

4m SAIL BLACK

land yacht sail

NEW BIG FORK

land yacht sail

REAR WHEEL COMPOSITE

land yacht sail

POD COMPLETE

land yacht sail

ULTRA DOWNHAUL 2

land yacht sail

FOOTPLATE SHORT SET

land yacht sail

RATCHET PULLEY

land yacht sail

ALREADY HAVE AN ONLINE ACCOUNT?

Click here to login

Or please choose your region to browse as a guest:

JOIN THE TEAM

Start a Rental Operation

Become a Dealer

GET IN TOUCH

+64 7 572 4256

INFORMATION

Support & FAQs

Terms and Conditions

Sign Up For News

Join the blokart mailing list

Please check your email address for errors

Error: You have already have an account in our system. If you need to generate a new password you can do this from the login page.

* Please fill out all required fields

Error: Please check the reCAPTCHA

Sending, please wait.

Thanks, we've added you to our mailing list

Find a Dealer

Useful links.

© BLOKART INTERNATIONAL LTD 2017, ALL RIGHT RESERVED | Use of this website constitutes acceptance of the Blokart Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Added to basket

Checkout Continue shopping

Active Outdoors

Land Yachting – Sailing for Those who prefer land

September 30, 2019 Rob Sayers Experience Days , Extreme Outdoor Activities , Fun Outdoor Activities , Land Activities , Outdoor Sports , Physical Challenges 0

land yacht sail

Blasting down the beach with your backside inches above the ground makes land yachting one of the most exhilarating sports I have tried. Powered purely by the wind in my sails, I joined a posse of stockbrokers who were intent on fulfilling their need for speed.

I tried land yachting as an outdoor activity gift from my wife through Red Letter Days . Activity gifts are one of the best ways to guarantee successful gift giving, at least for me.

What is Land Yachting?

The land yacht had three wheels for stability. In case you didn’t realise, it can be quite a challenge to get a four wheeled vehicle to have all four wheels evenly on the ground unless you put in some decent suspension. Land yachts don’t have suspension, and so you feel all of the bumps and bounces. Traction is provided through wind blowing in a large triangular sail attached to a mast mounted at the front of the land yacht. You sit in a very reclined position and hold onto a rope that pulls the sail in or releases it.

Do I need to be able to Sail to Control a Land Yacht?

Sailing a land yacht is far simpler than sailing a boat. There is no risk of waves, capsizing or falling overboard. Also, because you are lying down in the land yacht, there is no risk of being hit by the sail boom when you tack across the wind.

Your instructor will tell you the circuit for the day in relation to the wind and the technique for getting around corners to keep the wind. All you have to do is pull the sail rope and steer to avoid any of the other land yachts, dogs, people on the beach.

How to Control a Land Yacht

You steer a land yacht with two pedals, left and right. Some land yachts have hand levers for steering, but that only leaves one hand free for pulling the sail rope.

If you are facing the right way, all you need to do to get the land yacht moving is to pull the sail rope tight and keep it held tight. You musn’t loop the rope around your hands though, because if the rope pulls too much you could get rope burns or cuts. Land yacht racers usually wear gloves to protect their hands.

The tighter you pull the sail rope, the faster the land yacht will go, as long as you are not heading directly into the wind. As with any sailing sport, you have to work out which direction the wind is blowing to get the most speed. If you get it right, you find yourself hurtling down the beach with a rather huge grins on your face. Tight turns can lead to flying along on only two wheels, which is a bit hairy but awesome fun.

The Thrill of Land Yachting at High Speed

My Land Yachting Gift Experience

Whenever I get a gift experience I always open it with a sense of trepidation, wondering what experience I will be getting myself into. The Tiger Moth flight was a bit scary, mostly because people kept telling me that they had had dreams of me crashing and also because you didn’t get parachutes.

I was very excited when I opened the Red Letter Days envelope with a gift voucher for land yachting. It was something I had wanted to try for quite a while. I booked the two hour session on a beach near Rye in Kent and eagerly awaited that windy day.

It was easy to find, not least becuase of the big van plastered with signs for the land yachting company. The guys running the day were busy setting up the land yachts, which were left lying on their sides so that the wind didn’t blow them down the beach before time. There were quite a few rather nice cars parked at the side of the road, and talking to the other peope waiting most of them were stockbrokers. Land yachting must be one of those sports that attract people who have a need for that adrenalin rush. Engineering doesn’t necessarily give you such a buzz, but using some of the things you design certainly does.

We were given a brief training session on safety and how to control the land yacht. Then it was pretty much in you get and of you go. At first, it was a bit tricky getting around the first corner because you had to cross the head wind. If you didn’t turn quickly enough, you slowed down and stopped facing the wind. No amount of tugging on that sail rope would get you moving. the instructors stood on that corner to help get you moving again. After a few laps, I got the hang of it. At this point the instructors called me over to the centre to stop. I wondered what was up, and then they increased the height of the mast, which in turn unfurled more sail. This meant more speed! Awesome!

I was back out into the circuit and amazed by the increase of speed from increasing the sail size. One by one, the other bankers were pulled over to have a mast extension. Things then became quite competitive. Overtaking and racing ensued. I got such a thrill from overtaking others and a great sense of satisfaction if one of them lost the wind on a corner.

All in all, the two hours whizzed by and I was left wanting more.

How can I get to try Land Yachting?

You do need a licence to sail a land yacht on a public beach in the UK. The best way is to find a land yacht racing club.

If you want to buy your own land yacht, Blokarts are the most popular brand. The Potty is a UK land yacht design that will fit into the boot of your car.

If you want to try land yachting, you can buy land yachting gift vouchers from Red Letter Days. .

Recommended Reading

Privacy overview.

Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer.

To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds to  upgrade your browser .

Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link.

  • We're Hiring!
  • Help Center

paper cover thumbnail

Design, Modeling, and Simulation of a Wing Sail Land Yacht

Profile image of Benedita Malheiro

2021, Applied Sciences

Autonomous land yachts can play a major role in the context of environmental monitoring, namely, in open, flat, windy regions, such as iced planes or sandy shorelines. This work addresses the design, modeling, and simulation of a land yacht probe equipped with a rigid free-rotating wing sail and tail flap. The wing was designed with a symmetrical airfoil and dimensions to provide the necessary thrust to displace the vehicle. Specifically, it proposes a novel design and simulation method for free rotating wing sail autonomous land yachts. The simulation relies on the Gazebo simulator together with the Robotic Operating System (ROS) middleware. It uses a modified Gazebo aerodynamics plugin to generate the lift and drag forces and the yawing moment, two newly created plugins, one to act as a wind sensor and the other to set the wing flap angular position, and the 3D model of the land yacht created with Fusion 360. The wing sail aligns automatically to the wind direction and can be set ...

Related Papers

7th IFAC Conference on Control Applications in Marine Systems (2007)

Gabriel Elkaim

land yacht sail

Springer eBooks

Benedita Malheiro

Volume 4A: Dynamics, Vibration, and Control

Mario M. Foglia

This paper deals with the study of a land-yacht, that is a ground vehicle propelled by wind energy. There is a large interest in exploring alternative source of energy for propulsion and wind energy could be a feasible solution being totally green, available and free. The idea envisaged by a land-yacht is that of using one or several flexible or rigid vertical wing-sails to produce a thrust-force, which can eventually generate a higher travel velocity than its prevailing wind. A model of a three-wheel land-yacht is presented capturing the main dynamic and aerodynamic aspects of the system behaviour. Simulations are included showing how environment conditions, i.e. wind intensity and direction, influence the vehicle response and performance. In view of a robotic embodiment of the vehicle, a controller of the sail trim angle and front wheel steer angle is also discussed for autonomous navigation.

Cesar Jung-Harada

IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters

Sophie Armanini

Indian Journal of Geo-Marine Sciences

Faisal Sagala

Present study discusses prelimary design of sea glider autonomous underwater vehicle platform referred to as ITBSGAUV. AUV is designed to be compact in size, with the purpose of exploring and monitoring marine living resources. Its hardware is designed to be reconfigurable enabling the researchers to change the placement of the sensors for testing different navigation scenarios. Hardware and software components are designed to be re-usable, which reduces the development and testing time. A low-cost sea glider has 1 degree-of-freedom utilizing buoyancy driver (glider) with fiberglass hull material that can operate up to a depth of 200 meters. Experimental result demonstrates that the sea glider works well in ascent and descent motion with maximum slope 30 degree. Maximum yaw angle is set to +3/-3 degree relative with respect to North. Thus it is expected that the sea glider can be used effectively in real environment. Future works include modeling the dynamic of the AUV and its advan...

mostafa sadman

This article discusses a control architecture for autonomous sailboat navigation and also presents a sailboat prototype built for experimental validation of the proposed architecture. The main goal is to allow long endurance autonomous missions, such as ocean monitoring. As the system propulsion relies on wind forces instead of motors, sailboat techniques are introduced and discussed, including the needed sensors, actuators and control laws. Mathematical modeling of the sailboat, as well as control strategies developed using PID and fuzzy controllers to control the sail and the rudder are also presented. Furthermore, we also present a study of the hardware architecture that enables the system overall performance to be increased. The sailboat movement can be planned through predetermined geographical way-points provided by a base station. Simulated and experimental results are presented to validate the control architecture, including tests performed on a lake. Underwater robotics can...

Mauro Mussolin

Thuyet minh thi cong-datn

Tuan Anh Nguyen

Thuyết minh đồ án tốt nghiệp phần thi công

RELATED TOPICS

  •   We're Hiring!
  •   Help Center
  • Find new research papers in:
  • Health Sciences
  • Earth Sciences
  • Cognitive Science
  • Mathematics
  • Computer Science
  • Academia ©2024

an image, when javascript is unavailable

672 Wine Club

  • Motorcycles
  • Car of the Month
  • Destinations
  • Men’s Fashion
  • Watch Collector
  • Art & Collectibles
  • Vacation Homes
  • Celebrity Homes
  • New Construction
  • Home Design
  • Electronics
  • Fine Dining
  • Benchmark Wines
  • Brian Fox Art
  • Disneyland Resort
  • Ka La’I Wakiki Beach
  • Kalamazoo Grill
  • Raffles Hotels & Resorts
  • Sports & Leisure
  • Health & Wellness
  • Best of the Best
  • The Ultimate Gift Guide

8 Fascinating Facts About ‘Koru,’ Jeff Bezos’s Bonkers 410-Foot Sailing Superyacht

From its 250-foot support tender to its voluptuous wooden figurehead, the amazon founder's $500 million superyacht is full of surprises., howard walker, howard walker's most recent stories.

  • Rolls-Royce Debuted the New Phantom Scintilla at Monterey Car Week. Here’s Everything We Know.
  • This Speedy 70-Foot Power Catamaran Is Designed to Cut Through Rough Waters
  • These Slim New Catamarans Are Redefining the Category. Here’s How.
  • Share This Article

Superyacht Koru Jeff Bezos

According to the latest Forbes ‘s Real-Time Billionaires List, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is currently worth around $204 billion, making him the second-wealthiest person on the planet, just behind Tesla CEO Elon Musk .

So handing over an estimated $500 million for his 410-foot Koru , the world’s largest sailing yacht , another $75 million for Abeona , its 250-foot support vessel, and then paying the $30 million or so a year to cover running costs for both, should be well within his budget.

Bezos surprised the boating world when he opted for a classically styled, three-masted sailing yacht instead of some flashy mega motoryacht. What’s more it has a buxom wooden sculpture on the forepeak, typical of 19th-century sailing vessels. And since taking delivery last year, he and his fiancé, Lauren Sánchez, have been using the yacht to cruise the world in style.

While secrecy still shrouds Koru , especially its interior and many of its technical features, we take a closer look at what makes it, arguably, the most interesting sailing superyacht in years.

Designed as a Modern Classic

land yacht sail

Koru would never be described as sleek, or elegant even. But she does have a classical style. Designed by the Dutch masters at Dykstra Naval Architecture, the boat is distinguished by its towering navy-blue steel hull, snowy-white, two-level aluminum superstructure, sweeping canoe stern, and a trio of soaring masts. Her design inspiration is said to be the triple-masted schooner Eos , built by Germany’s Lürssen Yachts in 2006 for American media mogul Barry Diller. And, ignoring the current trend of oversized windows, Koru ‘s hull sides are dotted with traditional portholes with smaller-than typical windows for the upper decks (no doubt helping to protect guests from paparazzi lenses). Little is known about the yacht’s interior design, other than it’s the work of London-based Mlinaric, Henry and Zervudachi studio. Oceanco’s website describes the interior as a “timeless, contemporary style, with natural wood tones complemented by a palette of warm neutrals and beautifully patterned textiles.”

Claiming the Prize for Size

land yacht sail

At 410 feet bow to stern and with a beam of 56 feet, Koru is the largest sailing yacht in the world. Some might argue the title should go to the 468-foot Sailing Yacht A . But that quirky, Philippe Stark–designed triple-master is considered a “sail-assisted motoryacht” rather than a true sailing yacht. Koru is also big inside, with a reported internal volume of 3,300 gross T=tons, that offers room for up to 18 guests in nine cabins and accommodations for a crew of 36.

A True Sailor

land yacht sail

Full credit to Jeff Bezos for ignoring his fellow billionaires’ penchant for giant, diesel-guzzling superyachts. (Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg recently took delivery of his 387-foot Launchpad , powered by quadruple MTU engines packing a combined 23,400 hp.) With its giant, more-than-20,000-square-foot sail plan (including three mainsails and three, cutter-style headsails), Koru has been regularly photographed cruising under sail. It’s also believed the yacht is making an effort to focus on sustainability, from reports of it testing out a prototype kinetic energy recovery system that converts wave-induced motion into electrical energy. The vessel is also believed to feature a hybrid power system with large battery banks that run its systems at night while at anchor.

Its 250-Foot, $75 Million “Tender”

land yacht sail

The challenge with sailing yachts, even one that’s 410 feet long, is that it’s nearly impossible to land a helicopter on the deck. So Bezos commissioned a 250-foot support vessel, named Abeona after the Roman goddess of travelers. The largest shadow vessel ever built by Holland’s Damen Yachting, this explorer comes with a rear-deck helipad and hangar big enough to accommodate an Airbus ACH-135 helicopter. There’s also space aboard for a small armada of water toys and tenders, plus accommodations below decks for up to 45 crew and support staff.

Built Under Total Secrecy

land yacht sail

Tasked with taking Koru from concept to reality was the superyacht builder Oceanco, based south of Rotterdam in Alblasserdam, Holland. The famed yard, owned by billionaire Mohammed Al Barwani, who also owns Turquoise Yachts in Turkey, recently completed Steven Spielberg’s new 357-foot superyacht Seven Sea s, and the similar-sized Bravo Eugenia , launched in 2018 for Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. Koru was reportedly first commissioned in 2018 as Project Y721 and delivered to the Amazon founder in Gibraltar in April 2023.

What’s in a Name?

land yacht sail

While a betting person might have predicted that Bezos would have given his sailing yacht a more Amazon-connected name, like Prime, Deliverance, or even Blue Origin after his space company, he picked Koru . The name is said to be Maori for “loop” or “coil” and resembles the spiral shape of an unfurling silver fern frond. It’s said to be an integral symbol of New Zealand Maori art that symbolizes new life and new beginnings. Look closely at the wooden figurehead on Koru ‘s bow and the necklace around the woman’s neck features a pendant shaped like the koru symbol.

A Bridge Too Far

land yacht sail

As Koru was nearing completion in 2021, word got out that builder Oceanco had approached the city of Rotterdam in Holland, offering to pay for the partial disassembly of the historic 97-year-old Koningshaven lift-bridge, which was too low for the yacht with its triple 230-foot masts in place, to pass under on its way to the North Sea. The city reportedly consented, but the move resulted in a huge public outcry with threats to plaster Koru with eggs as it passed through the bridge. Oceanco withdrew its application and instead towed the yacht to Rotterdam’s Greenport shipyard west of the city, transported the masts by barge, and installed them there.

The Places You’ll Go

land yacht sail

Hot on the heels of Koru ‘s handover in Gibraltar in April last year, the superyacht has seemingly been cruising non-stop. It was spotted exploring Spain’s Balearic Islands, anchored off Cannes during the film festival, and moored at celebrity hot spots like Saint-Tropez, Capri, Portofino, and Porto Cervo, Sardinia. Bezos reportedly proposed to Sánchez on the bow of Koru off Cannes in May last year, followed by an engagement party aboard in Positano, Italy with a guest list that included Bill Gates, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kris Jenner, Toby Maguire, and Queen Rania of Jordan. Then Koru cruised the 4,000-plus miles across the Atlantic to Fort Lauderdale for a re-fuel and re-supply before heading to the Caribbean for winter cruising. This summer it was back to the Mediterranean for more island-hopping.

Read More On:

More marine.

Harland & Wolff's Belfast shipyard

The Shipyard That Built the ‘Titanic’ Has Filed for Bankruptcy

Falcon Shuttle

This New Catamaran Concept Was Designed to Carry Your Bugatti Across the High Seas

Spitfire Superyacht

Meet Spitfire, a New 164-Foot Superyacht Based on a High-Performance Patrol Boat

AC37 America's Cup Racing Barcelona

What It’s Like to Watch an America’s Cup Race Right on the Water

magazine cover

Meet the Wine Club That Thinks Differently.

Receive editor-curated reds from boutique California producers four times a year.

Give the Gift of Luxury

Latest Galleries in Marine

Spitfire Superyacht

Spitfire Superyacht in Photos

AX/E 25 Cross Top

The AX/E 22 and AX/E 25 in Photos

More from our brands, the 14 best baggy jeans and how to wear them now , fox powers past ‘smackdown’ in ‘college football friday’ debut, ‘a different man’ review: is sebastian stan the right person to play this part you decide in daring a24 drama, a new edition of john elderfield’s ‘frankenthaler’ shows an artist with real new york chutzpah, the best yoga mats for any practice, according to instructors.

Quantcast

  • Today's news
  • Reviews and deals
  • Climate change
  • 2024 election
  • Newsletters
  • Fall allergies
  • Health news
  • Mental health
  • Sexual health
  • Family health
  • So mini ways
  • Unapologetically
  • Buying guides

Entertainment

  • How to Watch
  • My watchlist
  • Stock market
  • Biden economy
  • Personal finance
  • Stocks: most active
  • Stocks: gainers
  • Stocks: losers
  • Trending tickers
  • World indices
  • US Treasury bonds
  • Top mutual funds
  • Highest open interest
  • Highest implied volatility
  • Currency converter
  • Basic materials
  • Communication services
  • Consumer cyclical
  • Consumer defensive
  • Financial services
  • Industrials
  • Real estate
  • Mutual funds
  • Credit cards
  • Balance transfer cards
  • Cash back cards
  • Rewards cards
  • Travel cards
  • Online checking
  • High-yield savings
  • Money market
  • Home equity loan
  • Personal loans
  • Student loans
  • Options pit
  • Fantasy football
  • Pro Pick 'Em
  • College Pick 'Em
  • Fantasy baseball
  • Fantasy hockey
  • Fantasy basketball
  • Download the app
  • Daily fantasy
  • Scores and schedules
  • GameChannel
  • World Baseball Classic
  • Premier League
  • CONCACAF League
  • Champions League
  • Motorsports
  • Horse racing

New on Yahoo

  • Privacy Dashboard

Below Deck Sailing Yacht Season 5 Trailer Revealed: ‘Cheers To Being Dramatic’

Batten down the hatches. The trailer for Below Deck Sailing Yacht Season 5 just arrived. It’s messy, and as expected, we will soon see the faces of Daisy Kelliher and Gary King back onboard. When these two yachties last saw each other, they were at odds, and as Season 5 teases, not much has changed.

The Below Deck Sailing Yacht Season 5 Trailer looks promising, in all the messy, dramatic ways

“Going into this season, I got rid of some dead weight ,” Daisy explains at the start of the trailer. “The breakup did a number on me last year. I felt very broken. But now, I’m coming back in more focused, full of energy, and I f*cking good at my job. And I’m taking back the reigns,” she quips, like a boss bish.

“It’s gonna be a sh*t show,” Daisy continues, as the cameras expertly cut to her yelling at Gary, the literal definition of her words. “Guess what? We have a f*cking job to do, and I’m not f*cking carrying this season on my own, you f*cking prick!”

Luckily for Daisy, a new beau is onboard to help distract her from last season’s love triangle mess . Deckhand Keith Allen catches her eyes, and it seems her affections are shared, as Keith asks Gary, “Daisy would make a good wife. No?”

Gary laughs. But Captain Glenn Shephard is not laughing, as several beats later, his crew entertains their charter guests a bit too hard on land.

“You guys went out with some guests. I set some ground rules. Two drinks maximum. You knew the rules, you broke the f*cking rules, and now you’re here, getting upset,” a frustrated Captain Glenn tells his team, as Daisy later states that she is “f*cking done.”

There’s also blood , broken dishes, a fire, and lots more. But sadly, there is no Colin MacRae .

Below Deck Sailing Yacht Season 5 premieres on Monday, October 7 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo.

TELL US – CAN GARY AND DAISY GET BACK TO A GOOD PLACE, OR HAS THIS (FRIEND)SHIP SAILED FOR GOOD? BUT ALSO, ARE YOU SHOCKED TO SEE GARY BACK, AND IN A NON-EDITED-OUT FASHION?

The post Below Deck Sailing Yacht Season 5 Trailer Revealed: ‘Cheers To Being Dramatic’ appeared first on Reality Tea .

Recommended Stories

Chemicals leaching from food packaging found in humans, new study shows. experts call for more safety regulations..

Human exposure to chemicals, including forever chemicals or PFAS, from food packaging is widespread, according to the study. Experts call it "concerning."

2024 Chase Freedom bonus categories: Get 5% back on PayPal and pet purchases this quarter

Each quarter, Chase Freedom Flex cardholders get access to new 5% bonus categories. These are the current options and how you can start earning now.

Cowboys DC Mike Zimmer, star Micah Parsons on different pages about defensive issues after Saints blowout loss

The Cowboys gave up six straight touchdown drives in their blowout loss to the Saints on Sunday.

North London derby reaction, Wiso Vasquez & Amelia Lopez discuss MLS & is there a new face of the NWSL?

Christian and Alexis react to Arsenal’s big win in the North London Derby. Then Christian and Alexis welcome on Wiso Vasquez and Amelia Lopez to chat MLS. Later, Christian and Alexis talk Trinity Rodman’s case to be the new face of the NWSL.

OpenAI's new safety board has more power and no Sam Altman

This move comes with a notable shift: CEO Sam Altman is no longer part of the safety committee, marking a departure from the previous structure.

Man arrested, charged with stalking after allegedly harassing UConn star Paige Bueckers for months

A 40-year-old Oregon man is being charged with breach of peace, electronic stalking and harassment.

Wisconsin QB Tyler Van Dyke ruled out for season with ACL injury after leaving loss to Alabama early

Tyler Van Dyke went down on the first drive of Wisconsin's loss to Alabama on Saturday afternoon.

Up to 70% off Le Creuset — here's the biggest and best list of deals to shop now

Retailers like Nordstrom, Amazon, Macy's and more have slashed prices on the brand's most iconic pieces — including the coveted Dutch oven.

Oxo's 9 cup coffee maker is the most user-friendly machine I've ever tested

It doesn't get simpler than the one-button control on this sleek appliance. It's the best drip coffee maker we tested!

Cut the car clutter with this bestselling trash can/organizer — it's down to $10

Say goodbye to mobile messes with this clever multitasker, a favorite of 35,000 5-star fans.

The 2023 superyacht summer recap: Jeff Bezos is now king of the high seas

  • For billionaires and their celebrity friends, warm weather means it's yacht season.
  • Jeff Bezos recently debuted his $500 million megayacht Koru, which criss-crossed the Mediterranean.
  • Here's a recap of some superyachts that made headlines this summer — and the famous faces spotted on them.

Insider Today

Jeff Bezos made headlines in 2019 for a rare appearance partying at sea on David Geffen's yacht, the Rising Sun , with ex-Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein and model Karlie Kloss.

Four years later, Bezos is no longer Amazon's CEO, and he's spent the last few months earning a new title: king of the high seas. As 2023's yacht season comes to a close, it's clear that Bezos' brand new $500 million superyacht won the summer.

Many of the world's rich and famous have shied away from being spotted vacationing on yachts . Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav made that mistake early in the season, sparking backlash after hosting a lavish soiree overlooking a bevy of yachts on the French Riviera, just weeks after the Hollywood writer's strike kicked off. 

But Bezos and his superyacht guests appear undaunted by coverage of their travels.

Bezos named his megaboat Koru, after a Maori symbol of growth (perhaps a reference to being the world's largest sailing yacht at 417 feet long) and new beginnings.

Koru took its maiden voyage to Gibraltar in April, and a flurry of photographed stops followed: In May, a shirtless Bezos and his now-fiancee Lauren Sanchez — who has a striking resemblance to the sculpture on Koru's bow — took the yacht for a spin off the coast of Spain, before sailing it to the Cannes Film Festival.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lauren Sanchez (@laurenwsanchez)

In June, Koru made its way to the Italian Riviera , where the couple posed for photos on the ship's deck. Then it stopped by the Italian island Capri, before posting up at nearby Positano, a cliffside town that's become a favorite of celebrities and travel influencers.

There, the yacht played host to an engagement party for Bezos and Sanchez , which reportedly drew guests including Bill Gates, Whitney Wolfe Herd, Ari Emanuel, and Leonardo DiCaprio. Just a week later, the couple was seen strolling the streets of Dubrovnik, Croatia, with Orlando Bloom, Katy Perry, and Usher.

Yacht season's runner-up: billionaire Barry Diller's Eos

Another highlight of this year's yacht season was the 305 foot-long Eos, owned by billionaire Barry Diller and fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg, which also had a busy summer criss-crossing the Mediterranean. 

Related stories

A staple of superyacht season, Eos' 2023 summer schedule included an early stop in Mallorca , where Diller and von Furstenberg hiked with Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King; a trip to Greece where von Furstenberg visited with British Vogue editor Edward Enninful and Valentino cofounder Valentino Giancarlo Giammetti; and a stop on the Amalfi Coast where von Furstenberg snagged a picture with Kris Jenner.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Diane von Furstenberg (@therealdvf)

In August, the ship made its way to Croatia, where its owners dined with Hollywood A-listers Candice Bergen, Emma Thompson, and Jason Blum, as well as Diane Sawyer and Creative Artists Agency partner Bryan Lourd.

The Eos docked in Venice to end its summer season, where von Furstenberg hosted the annual DVF Awards — and began furnishing one of her dry-land residences.

Not too far away in Venice's harbor was Maìn, Giorgio Armani's yacht, on which he hosted guests like Sydney Sweeney and Kerry Washington as part of his One Night Only fashion event earlier this month.

Many of the world's other famous superyachts — and the folks who frequent them — appear to have largely avoided the public eye this summer. 

"In a world of long-lens constant paparazzi, there is a place for relaxed privacy that many of us take for granted," a longtime superyacht employee, who requested anonymity to speak candidly, recently told Insider.

That's likely the privacy that Geffen is enjoying on the Rising Sun, the yacht where Bezos was photographed a few summers ago — and on which Geffen infamously self-isolated in March 2020. 

While the ship has been keeping a low profile this yacht season, it's reportedly been spotted in Capri and Mallorca , though without its typical celebrity entourage on board. Most recently it made a splash in a place not typically known for attracting the world's most expensive crafts: Portland, Maine.

Watch: The rise and fall of the cruise industry

land yacht sail

  • Main content

land yacht sail

Divers discover cameras on Mike Lynch’s doomed superyacht that may solve mystery behind sinking

V ideo surveillance cameras retrieved from the wreckage of tech tycoon Mike Lynch’s yacht may solve the mystery of why it sank in a storm off Sicily last month.

Divers from the Italian Navy retrieved video surveillance equipment, including computers and hard drives, that will be analyzed in specialized labs, according to a report Saturday.

Lynch, his daughter Hannah, 18, and five other people died when the Bayesian went down in severe weather, believed to be a meteorological phenomenon called a downburst, which is similar to a small tornado.

Prosecutors investigating the sinking deployed six elite divers from a special forces unit called Comsubin, who made repeated dives down to the sunken yacht with the help of a hyperbaric chamber.

Recaldo Thomas, the ship’s Antiguan-Canadian chef, Jonathan Bloomer, the Morgan Stanley International bank chairman, his wife Judy, and Chris Morvillo, a Clifford Chance lawyer, and his wife Neda, were the other victims of the Aug. 19 tragedy.

Fifteen people, including Angela Bacares, Lynch’s wife, survived when they were rescued by a nearby yacht.

James Cutfield, 51, the New Zealand captain of the Bayesian, has not been charged with any crimes but is under investigation for multiple counts of manslaughter and causing a deadly shipwreck, along with two British crew members: Tim Parker Eaton, 56, and Matthew Griffiths, 22.

Under the Italian legal system, being placed under investigation does not imply guilt and does not necessarily mean that charges will be brought.

Officials plan to raise the Bayesian and bring it to land in order to fully investigate how it went down in just 16 minutes after being hit by the storm.

It is currently lying at a depth of 165 feet, about half a mile off the coast of Porticello.

Divers discover cameras on Mike Lynch’s doomed superyacht that may solve mystery behind sinking

To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories .

Image may contain: Text, and Logo

Prada at Sail: How the House’s Luna Rossa Yachts Inspired Its Linea Rossa Line—and Blew Onto Its Runways

Image may contain Miuccia Prada Adult Person Accessories Glasses Crowd Formal Wear Tie People Wedding and Jewelry

This weekend the fashion world’s attention will be turned firmly towards the runways of New York. At Prada, however, they will be keeping at least half an eye on the Mediterranean waters off Barcelona. For this is where the Milanese house is driving its seventh attempt to win the world’s oldest international sporting competition: The Louis Vuitton America’s Cup.

Image may contain Clothing Footwear Shoe Sneaker Adult Person Pain Accessories Jewelry and Ring

The Prada America’s Cup sneaker on display at the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup.

Fashion and sailing typically only intersect during preppy revivals (deck shoes) or at parties off Cannes (where the superyachts don’t come with sails, so strictly don’t even really count). Yet since 1997 and driven by the passion of chairman Patrizio Bertelli, Prada has persistently been locked in a deadly serious campaign to claim the sport’s greatest prize. Miuccia Prada christened the team’s latest boat—the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli AC75–earlier this year and during its opening days of competition over the last few weeks it has only narrowly avoided being struck by lightning as this year’s competition heats up.

Image may contain Water Boat Transportation Vehicle Boating Leisure Activities Sport Water Sports and Person

The Prada Luna Rossa in the Mediterranean.

While the ultimate objective is to contribute to Italy’s first-ever successful attempt on the (currently New Zealand-held) cup, Prada’s involvement in sailing has also indirectly helped steer it through the choppy waters of fashion. Back in 1997, as Prada prepared its first Luna Rossa challenge, it launched the Linea Rossa—the line in which it has outfitted its sailors ever since.

As Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada Group’s CMO and Head of CSR, said in an email: “Prada has combined the knowledge gained from developing technical sportswear for the Luna Rossa team with Prada’s aesthetics, resulting in the Linea Rossa collection.” He added: “The attitude to introduce technical fabrics and refinements typically belonging to sportswear into the everyday formal wardrobe embodies Prada’s unconventional spirit.”

Image may contain Accessories People Person Adult Glasses Sunglasses Clothing and Coat

Prada Linea Rossa fall 2021 campaign. Photo: Courtesy of Prada

Most especially in menswear, “technical” is often used as an adjective to indicate high-performance function—or at least the appearance of it—through technologically advanced fabrications. At Linea Rossa the garments, footwear, and eyewear are all rooted in that core performance sailing origin, which means the functionality and robustness of the products is more reliably high-spec, akin less to fashion pieces and more to items of industrial design.

Image may contain Clothing Coat Fashion Adult Person Pants Footwear Shoe Jacket People and Wedding

Prada, spring 1999 menswear. Photo: Courtesy of Prada

Image may contain Choi Kyuwoong Fashion Adult Person Clothing Coat Footwear Shoe Face Head and Photography

Prada, fall 1999 menswear. Photo: Courtesy of Prada

Image may contain Clothing Coat Adult Person Glove Footwear Shoe Raincoat Jacket and Hat

That functionality hasn’t sunk Linea Rossa’s chances of the occasional appearance on Prada’s highest podium. In 1999, Linea Rossa featured on both men’s and women’s mainline runways (the menswear linked-hands section was especially memorable), and it made a return in 2000. The red line reappeared on both runways for a relaunch in 2018, just at the point when the house was setting sail from its longstanding home on Via Fogazzaro to its new berth at Fondazione Prada. The next time we saw Linea Rossa on the runway was during a stand-out section of its spring 2020 show in Shanghai. It most recently re-emerged during the doldrums of Covid, for spring summer 2021’s The Show That Never Happened .

Image may contain Fashion Adult Person Clothing Footwear Shoe Shorts and Coat

Prada, spring 2020 menswear. Photo: Courtesy of Prada

Image may contain Clothing Footwear Shoe Shorts Accessories Glasses Person Teen Fashion and Formal Wear

Prada, spring 2021 menswear. Photo: Courtesy of Prada

Image may contain Fashion Clothing Hat Footwear Shoe Adult Person High Heel Coat Runway and Electronics

Prada, fall 2018 menswear. Photo: Courtesy of Prada

Image may contain Kim Sunghee Fashion Clothing Coat Adult Person Hat Footwear and Shoe

According to Vogue’s skeleton crew of sailing watchers (just me, I think) this year’s Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli craft and crew seem strong contenders to emerge from the opening “challenger” stages as winners of the right to take on New Zealand for the America’s Cup. For fashion reasons as much as sailing ones let’s hope they do it—because such a famous victory would surely herald another Linea Rossa runway moment.

IMAGES

  1. Build your own land sailing yacht ~ Lapstrake boat diy

    land yacht sail

  2. Land Yachting Land Yacht Sailing

    land yacht sail

  3. Build your own land sailing yacht ~ One design sailboat

    land yacht sail

  4. Land sailing / sand yachting / land yachting on the beach at De Panne

    land yacht sail

  5. PIX

    land yacht sail

  6. Revival of my land yacht

    land yacht sail

VIDEO

  1. Custom Land Sail / yacht 12mph winds

  2. Sail powered RC Land Yacht

  3. Land Yacht World Championships , Belgium

  4. NEW YACHTS in BROOKHAVEN RP

  5. Landsailing, Short clip of the Brean Land Yacht Club

  6. Land sailing Australia

COMMENTS

  1. Manta Landsailers

    Manta Landsailers are light and fast wind powered vehicles that can reach over twice the speed of the wind on any hard, flat surface. Learn about the features, specifications, videos and photos of the single-seat WinJammer and the two-seat TwinJammer landsailers.

  2. Land sailing

    Land sailing, also known as land yachting, is overland travel with a sail-powered vehicle. Learn about the origins of land yachts in China and Europe, the modern designs and materials, and the world speed record of 222.43 km/h set in 2022.

  3. How Do Land Yachts Work? (Discover the World of Land Yachting)

    Learn about the design, propulsion, and steering of land yachts, a type of sail-powered vehicle that glides across land. Discover the benefits, safety tips, and places to go land yachting.

  4. Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Land Sailing

    Learn everything you need to know about land sailing, also known as land yachting, sand sailing or wind karting. Discover the history, equipment, types and variations of this adrenaline-pumping sport that can be practiced on firm sand beaches, deserts or flat ground.

  5. NALSA home

    NALSA is a non-profit organization that promotes and supports land sailing in North America. Find out about the latest land speed record, the America's Landsailing Cup results, and the different classes and events of land sailing.

  6. Land Yachting

    Watch a 1996 video of land yachting, a sport that combines sailing and motor racing with wind power. Learn about the history, equipment and techniques of land yachting, also known as sand yachting ...

  7. Wind Wizard Land Sailing

    Learn about the Manta Single and Twin, the most popular landyachts in the U.S. They have plastic patio chairs for cockpits and are made of aluminum frames and fiberglass bodies.

  8. What Is Land Sailing: An Introduction to Thrilling Wind-Powered Buggies

    Learn what land sailing is, how it works, and where to try it. Watch videos of land yachts, Blokarts, and other vehicles that glide across dry lake beds and beaches with sails.

  9. The far-out, spacey land sailors of Oregon's Alvord Desert

    Crafting land yachts by hand, using designs and ideas passed down from his father and from friends in the land-sailing community is all for fun. And for a little thrill. And for a little thrill ...

  10. Land Yacht class

    Posted on 28 Dec 2022 New World Land Yachting speed record ratified. The speed of 222.43km/h (138.21mph) achieved by Emirates Team NZ has been officially ratified. Posted on 20 Dec 2022 The other types of sailing. Sailing isn't defined by the boat or craft, but by the physics of deriving power from the wind.

  11. 'Land yacht' tested ahead of land speed record attempt

    Four-time America's Cup champions Emirates Team New Zealand have swapped sea for land in an attempt to break the wind-powered land speed record. #Landyacht #...

  12. How Land Sailing Works

    Learn about land sailing, also known as sand sailing, an extreme sport that uses sails and wheels to glide on dry surfaces. Find out the physics, conditions, tips and safety of this thrilling activity.

  13. Oldest videos of Land Yacht sailing

    Related Articles Barton Marine Launch Land Sailing Hardware Kits Ranges for Blokart, Odyssey and Manta land yachts Barton Marine have launched a range of Land Sailing kits for Blokart, Odyssey and Manta land yachts. Three kits are available, providing an all-in-one option to update hardware and lines for the different types of land sailing vessel.

  14. Land Sailing and Sand Sailing

    Learn about the sport of land sailing, also known as landyachting or sandsailing, where sailors use wind power to speed across dry lakes or beaches. Find out the history, types, and racing of this thrilling and ecological activity.

  15. Land Yacht : 14 Steps

    A land yacht is basically a wind-powered cart that supports a single rider who trims the sail and steers the cart. Our design utilizes a three-wheeled chassis to supports the rider while he/she trims the sail with his hands while steering with his feet. This instructable is a guide to building the land yacht.

  16. Everything You Need to Know About Land Sailing

    Learn what land sailing or sand yachting is, how to do it, and where to practice it. Find out the best locations, equipment, and tips for this fun and wind-powered sport.

  17. Blokart

    racing clubs. places to sail. explore. what is a blokart? explore now. youth sailing. learn sailing fundamentals. see more. freeride. blokart riders are pushing the limits of land sailing around the world. watch their stories. shop the blokart store. pro blokart. 4m sail black. new big fork. rear wheel composite. pro shadow. pod complete. ultra ...

  18. Design, Modeling, and Simulation of a Wing Sail Land Yacht

    Autonomous land yachts can play a major role in the context of environmental monitoring, namely, in open, flat, windy regions, such as iced planes or sandy shorelines. This work addresses the design, modeling, and simulation of a land yacht probe equipped with a rigid free-rotating wing sail and tail flap. The wing was designed with a symmetrical airfoil and dimensions to provide the necessary ...

  19. Land Yachting

    Learn how to control a land yacht, also known as a sand yacht or a land sail, and enjoy the thrill of speeding along the beach. Find out where to try land yachting, what equipment you need and how to get a licence.

  20. Design, Modeling, and Simulation of a Wing Sail Land Yacht

    A rigid-wing sail land yacht uses an airfoil as a sail instead of a conventional fabric sail [12]. The wing sail generates aerodynamic forces, such as lift and drag, and is more efficient, robust and easier to control than conventional fabric sails as, generally, these fabric sails require more than one actuator to be controlled and a wing sail ...

  21. Welcome to British Landsailing, the British Federation of Sand & Land

    Welcome to British Landsailing, the British Federation of Sand & Land Yacht Clubs (BFSLYC). We are the administrative body for sand yachting and land sailing in the UK. The sport includes the competitive and recreational sailing of sand and land yachts. Here you can find out more about land sailing, where to learn and sail, competitions and all ...

  22. FISLY Home Page

    Welcome to the homepages of. FISLY. the International Land and Sandyachting Federation. Access to the "FISLY INTERNATIONAL PILOT REGISTRATION". FISLY YOUTH CAMP: SAVE THE DATE for 2025: from 18.08 till 22.08.

  23. 8 Facts About 'Koru,' Jeff Bezos's 410-Foot Sailing Superyacht

    The challenge with sailing yachts, even one that's 410 feet long, is that it's nearly impossible to land a helicopter on the deck. So Bezos commissioned a 250-foot support vessel, named Abeona ...

  24. Below Deck Sailing Yacht Season 5 Trailer Revealed: 'Cheers ...

    The Below Deck Sailing Yacht Season 5 Trailer looks promising, in all the messy, dramatic ways ... his crew entertains their charter guests a bit too hard on land. "You guys went out with some ...

  25. Superyacht Season: Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sanchez, and Koru Win the Summer

    There, the yacht played host to an engagement party for Bezos and Sanchez, which reportedly drew guests including Bill Gates, Whitney Wolfe Herd, Ari Emanuel, and Leonardo DiCaprio. Just a week ...

  26. Divers discover cameras on Mike Lynch's doomed superyacht that may

    Video surveillance cameras retrieved from the wreckage of tech tycoon Mike Lynch's yacht may solve the mystery of why it sank in a storm off Sicily last month. Divers from the Italian Navy ...

  27. Prada at Sail: How the House's Luna Rossa Yachts Inspired Its ...

    A closer look at Prada's Linea Rossa line, ust in time for The Louis Vuitton America's Cup that Prada's yacht, the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli AC75, is competing in.