page_title: Blokart
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Blokart / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Blokart being assembled
context_page_description: The Blokart is a popular one-design class of small compact land yacht, manufactured by the New Zealand-based company Blokart International Ltd.
  They can be quickly disassembled and packed into a carry-bag giving them a high degree of portability and are designed to be particularly easy to learn to sail. They are used for leisure sailing on beaches in many parts of the world - but Blokart racing is also developing as a competitive international sport, with organised racing including national championships in several countries and a biennial world championship.
context_section_description: The Blokart design was developed in 1998 as a joint venture with Paul Beckett and Ross Dickey, Tauranga NZ. The first commercial models in a purpose built factory in Papamoa, NZ in 2000 and since then the fundamental blokart design has remained virtually unchanged. By 2017, the total number of karts produced exceeded 14,000 with almost half the sold in Europe.
  The basic model including wheels, mast and sail weighs only 29 kg and can be dismantled in a few minutes without tools, and all parts packed into a carry-case. The high degree of portability allows them to be transported by car, or carried as luggage on a plane.
  Unlike many other land yachts, the Blokart is steered using the hands via a centrally mounted bar directly coupled to the front wheel. This, along with its compact size, makes it highly maneuverable, and able to be used in small urban areas such as carparks or tennis courts.
  Wheels can be replaced with ice blades to allow the Blokart to sail on ice - with the first Blokart Ice World Championships staged in Lithuania in 2010.
  A side-car accessory or "Shadow" can be added to  carry a passenger, and Blokarts can be joined head-to-tail together using a "Deuce" bar. Multiple can be joined in this way to create long trains.
  Blokarts have four standard sail sizes, 2.0m, 3.0m, 4.0m and 5.5m, with sail size choice being dependent on wind strength and weight of the sailor. Heavier sailors require larger sails, and smaller sails are more efficient in stronger winds.
  Speeds of more than 100 km/hr have been attained on land and up to 130 km/hr on ice. The current Blokart land speed record of 125 km/hr (77.7 mph) was set by Scott Young and Dave Lussier at Lake Ivanpah in Eastern California on Wednesday, 11 April 2018. The record was set on the 2nd lap of the final race of the 2018 North Americans when a Haboob (desert wind storm) came across the racing area.
caption: Blokarts can be assembled in minutes without tools
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