ORIGINAL: hummingbird3d
Maybe you've seen a rollerlbade version of snow skiis. I thought I saw a sailboat with a tricycle wheel setup that is the land version of a sailboat, but I don't know of the brand and who sells this. Has anyone tried these and is it a good training device for sailboating?
There use to be a manufacturer right there in your area called RC Sailcars.
Their website is closed down now [link=http://www.rcsailcars.com]rcsailcars.com[/link]. I just checked. I bought a Sailcar from them about three years ago and ran up against a snag with the sail servo and set it aside and forgot about it. Since the wind will be coming up for the spring, I just pulled the Sailcar out and got it ready. Then found myself here looking for any more information I could find.
Now watch, the wind will never come up now. But I am covered with several light electrics to fly just in case.
They are most often called Land Yachts (by the big boys that ride in them) or Land Sailers (by the RC guys) and there is a User's Group on Yahoo that I have subscribed to for the past three years. I get a couple emails a week just eaves dropping in on the discussions about how to make a hi-tech mast or wing sail. There are users all over the world there and some even sail on the frozen lakes back east with metal ice skate-like runners.
[link=http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IRCSSA/]International RC Surface Sailing Association at Yahoo[/link] "Surface" Because they didn't want to alianate the "frozen water" sailers.
They have Regattas all over the world too. There is usually one up in my area once a year on a dry lakebed near the California/Nevada State Line. Maybe I will get up there this year. They have full size and R/C models all at the same time. Hope this helps.