Landsailing World Championship venue offers a smooth surface
by Russ Foster 11 Jan 2014 02:53 PST
12-19 July 2014
Smith Creek Playa's surface is cracked, but smooth & fast © Duncan Harrison
Land yacht racers accustomed to beach sailing will be pleased with the size and smoothness of the Nevada dry lake chosen for July's Landsailing World Championship in Nevada, USA. They will not have to cope with the bumps and water hazards often present on beaches. These often make for exciting sailing but also can cause sore bodies and damage to land yachts.
By comparison, Smith Creek Playa (dry lake) in Northern Nevada is smooth, large and located 6000 ft. (1800 meters) above sea level. While offering refreshingly different conditions, high elevation dry lake sailing can create its own challenges for sailors accustomed to beaches.
The first challenge is the wind: specifically its direction, velocity and power. Unlike coastal winds, which often are reasonably predictable, desert winds can vary dramatically in direction and velocity, even during a single leg of a race. Moreover, the thinner air at high elevation causes any given wind speed to provide less power than it would at sea level. Dust and lightning storms can pose additional adversity.
The second challenge is posed, ironically, by the sheer width of dry lake race courses. "Especially on downwind legs, there are almost too many choices of which way to go compared to narrower beaches", stated Dennis Bassano, President of NALSA, the host organization. "Land yachts can sail from 2- to 5-times the speed of the wind, so sailors making the right choice between heading and speed can make huge gains against those who don't."
"We believe the beach sailors will find the surface quality and size of Smith Creek Playa very enjoyable," Bassano continued. "The international sailors are excellent and accustomed to adversity, so they should quickly adapt to the challenges presented by the wind, weather and width of the course," he added.
The FISLY-NALSA 14th Landsailing World Championship will be held July 12-19 at Smith Creek Playa, near the town of Austin in Northern Nevada USA.
www.nalsa.org/Worlds2014Splash.html