Best practice tips for Land Yachting and landsailing!

Recreational Landsailing is great fun, and part of the fun can be found in careering around on two wheels, throwing the yacht into tight turns, sliding sideways and spinning the yacht around, particularly if there is a crowd of appreciative onlookers nearby, in other words... showing off.

But... to the nervous onlooker you can appear to be out of control, they can feel threatened, and think their life might be at risk. That might be a bit extreme, but it is the reasoning behind the guidance that says you should give everyone 50m clearance. On smaller beaches 20m is sometimes specified and, if you cannot give everyone 20m clearance, you should accept that the beach is too crowded.

Do give folk a cheery wave - it never does any harm - and always be polite, regardless of the provocation.

• Dogs - there is no easy answer to the problem of dogs chasing yachts. Do your utmost to avoid running it over, and try to lead it back towards where it came from.
• Horses - a nervous horse will look nervous, with it’s head right up, moving sideways - crablike - with the rider struggling for control, and horses generally do not like flapping sails. Avoid horses by at least 100m. There can be an “attitude” with some horse riders, so do not be surprised if the horse makes no effort to avoid you. If the horse is unavoidable, stop … and quickly turn your yacht on it’s side - to avoid the sail flapping.
• Everyone else - has just as much right to be on the beach as you do, and it is a good policy to simply give way to everyone.