Land Yachting

Life's a beach when you're whizzing past at high speed on a wheeled cart with the wind in its sails. Where can you lie back and go as fast as a Porsche on the M1? It can be done in a land yacht and you can reach speeds up to and in excess of 100mph. The crafts involve you lying down and steering and with no brakes, you will certainly have to be daring to give it a go!

For beginners, you could buy a mini land yacht for a few hundred pounds, find a suitable piece of land and just try it out. It can be quite dangerous, so be sure to have equipment such as gloves, knee pads, elbow pads and shin pads as a minimum. The mini has three wheels, a simple frame, a seat, a mast and can fit into the boot of your car. Just one mini can provide the family with hours and hours of fun, taking it in turns to see how fast you can go!!

If you don't fancy buying a land yacht, why not try making one instead. If you study the design and aesthetics of some existing crafts, you can easily adapt your own design to make a craft that is fit for flight! This process requires determination, patience and a good dose of luck, but it in itself can be a great family treat! If you did want to build your own land yacht, but don't have a clue where to get the basic equipment, visit the Flexifoil website here, for an extensive range of stuff!

There are lots of clubs throughout the UK offering facilities for Land Yachting and these listed below. To race at a club, you must have insurance which can be obtained at each individual club. The insurance only covers the club activities and is invalid for any expeditions you try on your own! Also many clubs offer the chance for taster lessons and training sessions to give you a bit of advice and for you to test whether this is for you. Check out each club for more details.

• East Anglia
• Weston-Super-Mare
• Kent
• Yorkshire
• Lincolnshire
• Wirral
• York