Fuel your car with moving air!

Wind has been a source of energy used by mankind for centuries. In fact, one of the oldest ways to get around is sailing. Before the modern network of roads and railways sprawled out all over the globe the easiest and quickest way to move people and cargo from one place to another was by water, and sailboats were the primary vehicle of choice before steam power took over. Open seas and oceans were ideal since they provided lots of room to maneuver and didn't have any obstacles to slow the air, buy skilled sailors were able to navigate various channels and rivers as well. Wind powered vehicles do not, however, have to be confined to water.

Land sailing uses the same principles as sailing the high seas, but instead of floating the vehicle rides on wheels. Since wheels are generally much more efficient than displacement boat hulls, land yachts can attain much higher speeds than typical sailboats. The current speed record is held by Richard Jenkins at 126.2 mph (203 km/h) using a custom designed vehicle called Greenbird.

Records under controlled conditions are good and all, but can land sailing actually be used to get around? It certainly isn't a new idea. The Chinese Sailing Carriage has been used since about the 6th century AD, Eurpoean vehicles were being built in the 1600s, and a land yacht race through the Sahara desert was held in 1967. More recently a Polish team travelled 1600 km through the Gobi desert using land yachts.

Modern land yachts vary in size and construction style, but most are made to seat one or two people and are usually set up in a tricycle configuration. There are a number of home built examples around, such as this one from Australia, but if you aren't into building one yourself you can buy from one of many established manufacturers such as Blokart.

Anyway, I've decided over the next few months to explore the concept of land sailing to see if I can make some use of it, both for fun and for practical transportation. Living in the prairies is probably an advantage here since we have lots of flat, open terrain, but one of the challenges I foresee is learning how to use these types of vehicles on roads since it is difficult to cross farmers' fields if the wind shifts. Stay tuned to see how this all turns out!