Blokart Worlds, Perth 2014
Ever wanted to sail faster than an AC45 in a racing environment…. The LSD crew have found just the way. Its called blokart, and at the last world championships held on Ivanpah Dry Lake the top sailors were using target speeds of 22knots upwind to find their best VMG, and over 40knots downwind on a 1 mile long windward – leeward course.
The next world championships will be held in January 2014 on Lake Walyungup, 20 minutes south of Perth, Western Australia. The LSD will be fielding a team of crazy stunt sailors, with Navig8r hoping to improve on his 5th place last time round.
Don’t confuse blokart sailing with Land Yachting, they hate that. The land yachts a big beasts, that seem to stand around more often than sail, they only race reaching courses when the wind is between set limits and steady for a minimum of 10 minutes, they do standing starts and are not allowed closer than 20 feet to each other. But not these guys, the typical blokart sailor is not only a speed freak, but also loves the adrenaline of racing just inches apart (and sometime not so apart)
The sport has grown over the past 8 years to now have 150 odd competing in two classes, each broken into 4 weight divisions. They use a start count down (just like in on the water yachting) with karts buzzing left and right at 30 knots lining up for the start gun. The class uses basically the same yachting rules we all know and love (or hate), with changes only to cater for the higher speeds, much like the AC45 has had to do.
So how to get involved? head to you local club, or dealer, they are the friendliest bunch of guys, and they will show you how you can go faster than a 12 footer, 16 footer, Moth, 18 footer, 49er, A Class Cat, F18 Cat, AC45 (and maybe even the AC72 who knows yet)
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