Читать книгу Bushell's Best Bits - Everything You Needed To Know About The World's Craziest Sports - Mike Bushell - Страница 36

Tilly Carter tugged at the rope and glanced up at her sail, which now puffed its chest with pride, as it reared to the right. Like a puff adder filling its cheeks with air, the bulging canvas flapped and roared, forcing this brave seven-year-old to grip on even tighter. The turbo charged gust of wind that next caught her vessel, meant Tilly, was suddenly staring at the water. She was just inches from the silvery film.

Her next move would be crucial. If she could hold her line and maintain speed, the sunset was calling, but if she lost her nerve and surrendered to the wobble, she would be calling for help. She was after all alone with her sail. Tilly knew she was tipping over, and braced herself for the crash. The sail became her umbrella, her canopy shielding the sun. She was upside down and helpless. Like a beetle turned onto its back, she knew she would need rescuing.

But Tilly didn’t have to wait for a lifeboat, because help came walking along. There was no danger of this beginner drowning, because the water was only a centimetre deep. She was on a vast stretch of wet sand on Pembrey beach in South Wales and her sail was attached to a land yacht – or Blokart.

I think this has to be the most fun you can have with your family when trying out a new sport for the first time. True, it’s not going to be the most accessible activity every weekend, because you need to be near a suitable location (i.e. a stretch of empty beach or land) and the equipment isn’t cheap. But in terms of picking up a skill, in a first session, everyone I was with, from child to adult, was soon using the power of the wind to get up to 20 miles per hour, on long adrenalin rides along the sand.

Blokart sailing is sailing on land. You are in a go-kart on three wheels, two at the back and one at the front. There is a steering handle, and then above you, your sail, which you control with a rope. If you have always fancied the idea of taking the family sailing on the high seas, but couldn’t afford it, or you worry about the dangers of deep, cold water, this is a superb alternative.

Just like in sailing, Britain is becoming very successful in this sport. I had to come to South Wales to see the 2010 world silver medallist Tim Seed. He arrived with just a large holdall bag. The other advantage this has over sailing is you don’t need a trailer for your boat. The Blokart will come apart and fit inside your car boot.

So Tim was changed and ready to go within around 20 minutes, and in capable hands like his, these land yachts can reach speeds of 60 miles per hour.

‘It’s great for getting the adrenalin going.’ he said. ‘It’s very similar to sailing. You are looking at the wind, trying to read it all the time, and constantly checking the sails, making sure the tails are full, as we turn and tack.’

The children in the group of beginners I joined were in their own Blokarts within half an hour, after a tutorial on the sand. We sailed up and down, and every 200 metres we would try to turn, by adjusting the angle of the sail with the rope, and by moving a handlebar attached to the front wheel. It’s a fine line, and all of us tipped over at times, when we misjudged the strength of the wind or simply got our hand movements on the rope and bar wrong. However, you are secured into your seat with a belt, and so while you may feel helpless, it doesn’t hurt. With a helping hand, you are back on three wheels again in an instant.

‘It’s like riding a bike,’ said one beginner, Lara Bell aged nine. ‘It’s scary when you tip over,’ said Annabelle Gilborn, the youngest girl there. She was seven at the time and in 2012 she came third in the BLSA fun series. ‘I have tipped over twice already, but the second time was quite fun,’ she admitted. Her dad John hadn’t fared so well in the adult competition.

Blokart is seen by the instructors as a valuable way to teach children the skills needed for sailing, before they can then try their hand at sea. Blokarts were first designed in 1999 in New Zealand, and because they are small enough to be packed away in the car, they are light enough for people of all strengths and sizes to manoeuvre. There are also double karts, which enable you to take even younger children for a ride. The wheels can also be replaced by blades, and the first Blokart ice world championships were held in 2010 in Lithuania. The main competition though is on wheels and the international championship is held every two years. While these events are staged on beaches, parking areas and disused runways are also used. As a hobby it can be done on any open area larger than a tennis court.

‘Wahooo!’ – I couldn’t help myself making ridiculous baboon-like noises as I picked up speed with the wind behind me. I was only going at about 25 miles per hour, but it felt double that and every turn now was one smooth line. The learning curve had been climbed, I thought as I waved to the instructor…and then promptly flipped over like a toy, helpless in the hands of the ogre of overconfidence.

The price is similar to that of basic sailing. A new Blokart will set you back around £1,500, so the best way to start is to arrange a session for a group, via the the BLSA Blokart sailing website. They run taster experiences all year around depending on the weather and it’s certainly ideal for a summer holiday activity in a number of locations around the UK. The sport is also working with the Army and their ‘Battle Back’ scheme for injured servicemen, and Sportability. In 2012 a team of 15 UK competitors travelled to the World Championships in Ivanpagh, and two of the squad were wheelchair athletes. One of these sailors, Chris Selway, a primary school teacher from near Bristol, came third in his class. To get involved the governing body can be contacted at www.theblsa.com