Please select your home edition
Edition
Pantaenius 2022 - SAIL & POWER 2 LEADERBOARD ROW

Project Land Speed: Explaining the power of the pod

by Sail-World.com/nz 30 Jul 2022 14:47 UTC 31 July 2022
Project Speed - Horonuku is pushed out of the RNZAF Hangar - Emirates Team New Zealand - Test run - Whenuapai -May 20, © Richard Gladwell / Sail-World.com

Emirates Team New Zealand's Tim Meldrum explains how the pod is used on Horonuku to optimise weight carried depending on the windspeed.

The land yacht will need to exceed 202.9km/hr or 110kts for a three second period to break the 13yr old windpowered landspeed record that has stood for 13years.

"The pod is like our keel on a yacht. It's a pile of mass out on a long lever that creates what we call the righting moment."

"We can vary the amount of lead in that pod, anywhere from 300 kilos up to about 1.1 tonnes."

"The sweet spot would be if you could fly the wheel 50 millimetres off the ground without touching at all, " explains the Mechanical Engineer.

The Project Landspeed team is still waiting for Lake Gairdner in South Australia to dry sufficiently to put up the hard salt pan necessary for the record, which must be set on a natiral surface.

Full NALSA regulations for speed record attempts can be read nalsa.org/Sept_News/spdreg.html

Related Articles

Preparing your boat for winter
It is important to ensure that your boat is protected from the elements and ready for the cold As we head towards winter, the likelihood of storms increases, so it is important to ensure that your boat is protected from the elements and ready for the cold. Posted on 30 Oct
New functionality for Alpha Performance Displays
Boaters can now get even more from their Alpha displays with an easy-to-install update Raymarine announced today a free upgrade to its line of award-winning Alpha Performance Displays with the release of the Alpha 3.0 software update. Posted on 29 Oct
Andrew Cassels discusses circumnavigating Americas
Through the NW Passage and Patagonia with fellow OCC member, Paul Trammell Andrew Cassels, discusses circumnavigating the Americas through the NW Passage and Patagonia with fellow Club member, Paul Trammell. Posted on 28 Oct
Cape Horn gathering at the Hall of Fame Awards
Cape Horners take centre stage at the Vendée Globe Race It was a night of celebrations, meeting old friends and recounting memorable stories of rounding Cape Horn amongst a veritable Who's Who list of global circumnavigators attending the Vendée Globe Race to applaud the latest names to be inducted. Posted on 28 Oct
March for Clean Water
Join the Final Straw Foundation in this campaign next Sunday On Sunday 3rd of November, Final Straw Foundation team members, supporters and volunteers will be Marching for Clean Water in London, joined by other amazing organisations such as the Marine Conservation Society, RSPB, and River Action UK. Posted on 27 Oct
ARC+ 2024 - Meet the fleet
This year's ARC+ sailors come from 27 countries This year's ARC+ sailors come from 27 countries, with the top three nationalities being UK (24%), Norway (13%) and USA (10%). Sailors come from as far away as Australia and Chile, Japan and Bulgaria. Posted on 25 Oct
Barton Marine Outboard Motor Sling Nominated
For Equipment Innovation of the Year at The British Yachting Awards Barton Marine are pleased to announce that one of their latest innovations, the Outboard Motor Sling has been nominated in the 'Equipment Innovation of the Year' category at The British Yachting Awards 2024. Posted on 25 Oct
The 2024 'ARC Season' Begins
ARC and ARC+ rally fleets gather in Gran Canaria ahead of their Atlantic adventure With less than three weeks before the first departure, 'ARC Season 2024' is now under way. 1,300 people on 240 yachts sailing in the ARC and ARC+ transatlantic rallies are gathering in the Canary Islands. Posted on 23 Oct
"I'm sailing without stress"
Reefing by the numbers on Nautitech Cruising Catamaran As a guest on a Nautitech 44 Open, Managing Editor of Yachts and Yachting Online & Sail-World, Mark Jardine went for a cruise around Christchurch Bay to hear what wireless safety monitoring is bringing to cruising sailors aboard catamarans. Posted on 23 Oct
14th Catamarans Cup International Regatta preview
Making a strong return this year to celebrate its 14th anniversary in style The Catamarans Cup international sailing race for cruising catamarans will make a strong return this year to celebrate its 14th anniversary in style. Posted on 22 Oct
Marine Products Direct 2023 - Calypso FOOTERCrewsaver 2021 Safetyline FOOTERSelden 2020 - FOOTER