Well, on a lake with no water in it.
These pictures were taken at Ivanpah dry lake near Hiway 15 on the California
Nevada Border. Speeds were recorded thru traps in excess of 85 miles per
hour. The event was the 1975 America's Cup of Land Sailing and is still
held annually around April.
The car was MAGIC CARPET designed and built by Bill Lee to Class II
which allows 120 square feet of sail area and no other rules.
Dirt boats
are very much like Ice boats:
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Both often operate in winds in excess of 100 MPH apparent.
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Both luff when jibing
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Both are very fast and exciting
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Neither need bottom paint
However Dirt boats have yet to reach the higher top end speeds of Ice boats
and the difference may be that with the thin film of dust on the desert
floor, the dirt boats tires at high speed don't maintain good sideways
traction and the car starts to side slip. Ice boat runners never go sideways
easily, just frontwards and with very little drag.
Magic Carpet
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Class II (118 sq ft)
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Designer - Bill Lee
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Height from ground - 26'
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Wheelbase - 19'
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Weight - 650 lbs.
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Cost (1975) - $1800-2200.
You can't have too much fun.