Sanson to host world champs event
You can tell a blokarter by the ‘blokart grin’
Sanson will host a world championship blokart event with entries now open for New Zealand sailors to take on international competition. The prospect of hosting a world championship event had put wind in the sails of the Manawatu¯ Blokart Club, with the New Zealand championships to be held at same time, race venues at Sanson and Ohakea on Labour weekend.
Club publicity officer Richard Gower said it was an exciting sport to watch, but even more exciting to do, and you could tell a blokarter from the “blokart grin”. Experienced sailors can reach speeds of 90km/h.
Manawatu¯ Blokart Club is based at the Sanson Domain on State Highway One just south of Sanson, and staged races on Wednesdays and Saturdays between 1pm to 4pm — wind and weather dependent — regularly attracting as many as 30 to a regatta.
The club had a growing membership ranging in age from teenagers to those in their 80s, and was trying to get even more people to give the sport a go. Earlier this month the club invited sailors from the Manawatu¯ Marine Boating Club to try their hand at blokarting at the Sanson Domain course.
“While some of the marine club members might be familiar with sailing, doing it on three wheels and on ‘terra firma’ is substantially different to what they may have been used to,” he said.
“After a small bit of instruction however, they were up and away and some good racing took place and with a few puddles on the track there was enough spray to make them feel at home.”
This year the club introduced a Saturday morning Youth Academy for first time sailors aged between 8 and 18 years old, with tuition, hire carts and safety gear available, to give people a chance to be experience blokarting.
Many were first time sailors and getting to grips with sails, mainsheets, downhauls and tyre pressures all while scooting around the purpose built track .
The club has solo carts, a tandem and can set up a twin masted double that resembles a ketch.
“If you think that this sound like something you, or someone you know, might like to have a go at look us up on Facebook or the Internet by searching for the Manawatu Blokart Club or perhaps come along one Saturday afternoon,” he said.