Landsailing World Championship set for July 2014 in USA

The North American Landsailing Association (NALSA) will host the International Federation of Sand and Land Yachting (FISLY) 14th Landsailing World Championship at Smith Creek Playa (dry lake) near Austin in northern Nevada July 12-19, 2014. The regatta is expected to draw entrants from at least four continents and 10 to 15 countries. They will be competing in fleet races sailed in at least eight classes. The sailing vehicles are called landsailers in the USA and land yachts internationally.

NALSA. the U.S. affiliate of FISLY, has hosted two previous World Championships in southern Nevada during the Spring months, in 1990 and 2002. International entrants requested that the 2014 regatta be held in the summer, so they could bring their children. Smith Creek Playa was selected, because its 6000 ft. (1800 m) elevation offers some respite from the high temperatures of the southern deserts. Nearby Austin, Nevada provides modern amenities with an historic Old West flavor.

NALSA President Dennis Bassano stated, “We are pleased that the regatta has been named a Nevada 150 Official Event. This is a year-long celebration of Nevada’s 150 years as a state and offers regatta contestants and visitors a great opportunity to explore Nevada’s rich Old West history, including nearby Pony Express stations, working ranches, mines and many other historic sites”.

Russ Foster, NALSA media coordinator, reporting

About landsailing: A landsailer or landyacht is a wheeled vehicle with a sail for propulsion and is powered solely by wind. Most landsailers use cloth sails to good effect, but wing sails similar to those on the latest America’s Cup catamarans have been used successfully on landsailers since the early 1980s. Most landsailers have a single mainsail and no headsail (jib).

History of Landsailing: For centuries, wheeled sailing vehicles were employed for commerce. In the 19th century, Europeans began constructing landsailers for pleasure and competition. In the U.S., landsailing got its start in the 1960s, and the North American Landsailing Association (NALSA) was incorporated in 1972 by Don Rypinski.

Modern Landsailing: In Europe, landsailing is primarily practiced on beaches. In the United States, most landsailing occurs on dry lake beds in the deserts of the western U.S. and on beaches. There are thousands of landsailors throughout the world, with national and international competitions.

Landsailing Organizations: The International Federation of Sand and Land Yachting (FISLY) is the organization that oversees the sport worldwide, and it comprises 24 member organizations which represent the individual countries that compete in landsailing races. Founded in Europe in 1962, FISLY is the rule-making body for the sport, and it oversees and sanctions numerous competitions each year.

About NALSA: FISLY’s American affiliate, the North American Landsailing Association (NALSA) provides similar functions for events held in the U.S. NALSA is an all-volunteer non-profit umbrella organization for landsailing clubs throughout the U.S. Its President is Dennis Bassano of Santa Cruz, CA. It was incorporated in 1972 and each year organizes the America’s Landsailing Cup regatta held in the last week of March on Ivahpah dry lake near Primm, NV at the California/Nevada state line off Interstate 15. NALSA has hosted two previous World Championships at Ivanpah in 1990 and 2002.

Landsailing Competition: Many landsailing competitions are held throughout the world each year. Every two years, the World Championship (“the Worlds”) has been held in different host countries-Argentina in 2008, Belgium in 2010 and France in 2012. NALSA will host the 2014 championship July 12th through 19th at Smith Creek Playa near the town of Austin in Northern Nevada. The 2014 World Championship will be the final one before the regatta moves to an every-four-year cycle, so the Worlds probably will not return to the U.S. for at least 20 years. This likely will result in a strong turnout of both international and domestic competitors.

2012 World Championships Facts (France): Countries competing were Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Russia, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland, United States. Number of entrants: 350.