yacht land speed record

Fastest speed achieved by wind-powered land yacht

The highest speed officially recorded for a land yacht is 222.4 km/h (138.2 mph) by Horonuku , piloted by Glenn Ashby (Australia), at Lake Gairdner, South Australia, Australia, on 12 December 2022. The yacht was designed and built by Emirates Team New Zealand.

In Maori, Horonuku means “gliding swiftly across the land “, a name apparently not chosen at random by Emirates Team New Zealand, because they succeeded in their intent by achieving an impressive 222.4 km/h in just 22 knots of true wind, racing across the salty surface of Lake Gairdner in South Australia.

Piloting Horonuku was Glenn Ashby, a professional sailor with an outstanding career behind: The team and I are obviously buzzing to have sailed Horonuku at a speed faster than anyone has ever before powered only by the wind – said Ashby – But in saying that we know Horonuku has a lot more speed in it when we get more wind and better conditions. So for sure there is a cause for a celebration, but this isn’t the end.

This record was ratified by the international governing body FISLY (Federation Internationale de Sand et Land Yachting).

Team New Zealand sets new wind-powered land speed record on South Australia's Lake Gairdner

A new wind-powered land speed world record has been set, smashing a previous record which stood for over 13 years. 

Key points:

• The wind-powered land speed record was last set in 2009 in the US
• A team from New Zealand has gone faster in northern South Australia
• The record still needs to be verified by the land yachting governing body

Team New Zealand — normally a sailing team — set the new benchmark on its land yacht, named Horonuku, at Lake Gairdner, a long white salt lake in South Australia's far north.

Pilot Glenn Ashby successfully sailed the team's wind-powered craft at a speed of 222.4 kilometres per hour on Sunday — in 22 knots (40.7 kph) of wind.

The time surpasses the standing record of 202.9 kph recorded by Richard Jenkins in the US in March 2009.

"The team and I are obviously buzzing to have sailed Horonuku at a speed faster than anyone has ever before — powered only by the wind," Ashby said.

"But in saying that, we know Horonuku has a lot more speed in it when we get more wind and better conditions.

"For sure there is a cause for a celebration, but this isn't the end.

"We know we can go faster, so we plan to."

Before the speed is declared official, it will need to go through a verification process conducted by the international governing body Federation Internationale de Sand et Land Yachting (FISLY).

The team has 48 hours to submit its data to FISLY for the new world record to become ratified.

However, the team had an independent judge on the ground in South Australia to witness and verify the run.

Record months in the making

The breakthrough comes after a frustrating few months .

It took about 18 months for the team to get to the start line .

Weather conditions, unprecedented rainfall and surface water led to delays in the program.

The team was also challenged with significant wind direction changes during its attempt over the weekend.

"What originally looked like a good 20–22 knot day all day Saturday ended up not delivering the winds we needed," Ashby said.

"With rain in the surrounding area, and less wind in the foreseeable forecasts after Sunday, we were running a fine line.

"So, the fact we have managed to thread the needle and do a few record runs is especially satisfying."

Now that the team has passed the previous record, it is confident Horonuku has the ability go even faster.

They will now take a break and await a perfect forecast to have another run in 2023.

• X (formerly Twitter)

Related Stories

Team hoping outback salt lake continues to dry out ahead of wind-powered world speed record attempt.

This champion skipper wants to drive at 250kph in a vessel powered purely by wind

Speed Week: an extreme sport in the extreme desert

• Human Interest
• New Zealand
• Regional Communities
• Sports Record
• Wind Energy

• America's Cup , LIFESTYLE , News , SAILBOATS , Yatching

222km/hr! Emirates Team NZ break speed record with Glenn Ashby on Horonuku

• Luca D'Ambrosio
• December 12, 2022

Gairdner Lake – 12t December 2022 – Emirates Team New Zealand and Glenn Ashby broke world land speed record at 222km/h with their sailing yacht Horonuku, touching a speed faster than any previous record.

In Maori, Horonuku means “gliding swiftly across the land “, a name apparently not chosen at random by Emirates Team New Zealand, because they succeeded in their intent by achieving an impressive 222.4 km/h in just 22 knots of true wind, racing across the salty surface of Lake Gairdner in South Australia.

Piloting Horonuku was Glenn Ashby, a professional sailor with an outstanding career behind: The team and I are obviously buzzing to have sailed Horonuku at a speed faster than anyone has ever before powered only by the wind – said Ashby – But in saying that we know Horonuku has a lot more speed in it when we get more wind and better conditions. So for sure there is a cause for a celebration, but this isn’t the end.

From initial idea and the beginning of this world record attempt, which was pushed and supported by Grant Dalton, Matteo de Nora and the rest of the team at Emirates Team New Zealand , the objective has never been about just beating the record, it has always been about pushing things to the limit and going as fast as we possibly can. We know we can go faster, so we plan to.”

Before the 222.4km/h speed is declared ‘official’ there is a stringent verification process that needs to be conducted in accordance with the international governing body FISLY (Federation Internationale de Sand et Land Yachting ) for the new world record speed to become ratified.

There has been an independent FISLY approved judge on the ground at Lake Gairdner to witness and verify the run, the GPS recording from Horonuku and all other mandatory requirements of a record attempt.

Horonuku is fitted with an approved GPS which records survey grade, differential GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) data which provides 21 data points over the two second record period. Each of those data points supplies a position estimate accurate to around 10mm. This will deliver an average speed over two seconds the result of which will be directly comparable to that of the standing record of 202.9km/h recorded by Richard Jenkins on March 29th 2009, a record which has stood for over 5000 days.

“ The Land speed project has been a new opportunity to push the boundaries in aerodynamics, structural forces, construction methods and materials fields.” said Emirates Team New Zealand Principal Matteo de Nora . “What is often underestimated is that the technologies we explore in challenges like this- or in an America’s Cup campaign – are ultimately the foundation of tomorrow’s technology. Being ahead of the times in technology is what fascinates about all the challenges faced by the team so far.”

The high speed runs by Ashby and the team comes after a frustrating few months of weather delays at the Lake due to unprecedented rainfall and surface water leading to delays in the program, and the weather forecast for this weekend was equally as challenging with significant wind direction changes and the dreaded threat of rain and thunderstorms.

“As a team we have been hanging off every weather update from Clouds all week, so have been doing everything possible to be ready for the small windows that present themselves to us. What originally looked like a good 20-22 knot day all day Saturday ended up not delivering the winds we needed.” explained Ashby – With rain in the surrounding area, and less wind in the foreseeable forecasts after Sunday we were running a fine line. So the fact we have managed to thread the needle and do a few record runs is especially satisfying. But one thing that we have always understood and has been abundantly clear, is that no matter how prepared you are, you cannot achieve a result like this without an amazing team around you and a little help from Mother Nature. ”

Now the team has passed the previous record speed and is confident that with more wind Horonuku has the ability go even faster, Glenn and the team team will take a break and await a perfect forecast to have another run. In the absence of any more breeze in the foreseeable future and Christmas just around the corner that is likely to come in 2023.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Language switcher

Browse categories.

You might be interested in

Balance Catamarans heads to storm the Cannes Yachting Festival

Fiart at Cannes with the new models from the P lines and the complete Seawalker range

Poldo Dog Couture: the luxurious dog kit for boating

Ranieri Cayman 33.0 Executive, a breath-taking test

© 2021 – THE INTERNATIONAL YACHTING MEDIA Designed by BLive Communication

ABOUT YACHTINGNEWS.COM

Yachting News is an interactive multimedia magazine dedicated to the world of boating.

The International Yachting Media is the worlds most widely read boating magazines network. Whit its portal It broadcast its original contents in five languages and in more than 200 countries developing 950,000 views a week. Our web portals are the main source of information for yacht and boat owners, the place where they can find anything about their boating passion.

THEINTERNATIONALYACHTINGMEDIA.COM  | SUPERYACHTS.NEWS | YACHT DIGEST

VIRTUAL BOAT SHOW |  TUTTTOBARCHE |  TOUSLESBATEAUX |  TODOSLOSBARCOS

BOATING NEWS FREE APP

To provide the best experiences, we and our partners use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us and our partners to process personal data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site and show (non-) personalized ads. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.

Click below to consent to the above or make granular choices. Your choices will be applied to this site only. You can change your settings at any time, including withdrawing your consent, by using the toggles on the Cookie Policy, or by clicking on the manage consent button at the bottom of the screen.

Subscribe For Latest Updates

Sign up to receive the best of Yachting News, sea trials, boat review and world premieres .

The only ADVERTISING FREE newsletter

672 Wine Club

• Motorcycles
• Car of the Month
• Destinations
• Men’s Fashion
• Watch Collector
• Art & Collectibles
• Vacation Homes
• Celebrity Homes
• New Construction
• Home Design
• Electronics
• Fine Dining
• Benchmark Wines
• Brian Fox Art
• Disneyland Resort
• Gateway Bronco
• Royal Salute
• Sports & Leisure
• Health & Wellness
• Best of the Best
• The Ultimate Gift Guide

This America’s Cup Team Just Broke the World Speed Record on a Land Yacht

Emirates team new zealand smashed the record for non-powered vehicles with its fixed-wing, carbon-fiber horonuku on australia's lake gairdner., michael verdon, michael verdon's most recent stories.

• Here’s a Way to Choose Among the Dizzying Array of Jet-Card Options
• These Slim New Catamarans Are Redefining the Category. Here’s How.
• Boeing’s New Configurator Lets You Design a Semi-Custom Private Jet
• Share This Article

Related Stories

• This Chinese Autonomous Car Start-Up Is About to Go Public in the U.S.
• BMW Just Unveiled a New 717 HP Station Wagon for the U.S.
• This Mint Green Ferrari F40 Could Fetch $2.5 Million at Auction

But Glenn Ashby’s speed-breaking ride of 222.4 kmh (or 138.2 mph) on Sunday across the dried sands of Australia’s remote Lake Gairdner is off the charts. Team New Zealand’s 46.2-foot-long land yacht, Horonuku , is a colorful, slender carbon-fiber structure with four wheels and a 36-foot-tall rigid-wing sail that burned up the white sands with only a paltry wind speed of tk knots (tk mph). There are no engines and, according to race rules, the vehicle had to be pushed by Ashby’s team at the start. It also had run over the sands, without any paved roads to help.

Ashby, a native Australian who has been on the Kiwi team for 12 years, had dreamed since he was a child of breaking the record. Englishman Richard Jenkins, who held the previous record, only did so after designing and building five vessels for a decade before establishing the 202.9 kmh (126.1 mph) record in 2009. On the day Jenkins set the record, the winds were blowing from 26 to 40 knots. Under the rules, Horonuku had to establish the new record by at least 1 mph.

There had been much drama leading up to the record run. The lake had received an unusual amount of precipitation earlier in the year and wouldn’t be ready for a record attempt until the sand dried. In November, the team sat around for several weeks waiting for the chance to break the record, but rain kept the sand waterlogged.

“The steering was tough work,” said Ashby after the earlier run. “So that is the main focus to identify solutions to lighten the load as this will help with performance. To be able to build speed more efficiently and effortlessly will help reaching higher speeds.”

The team clearly found it yesterday breaking the record with wind speeds of just above 20 knots.

So why is a professional sailing team messing about with land-speed records? Emirates Team New Zealand spokesperson Hamish Hooper told Robb Report that the lessons learned at Lake Gairdner will translate to its foiling yachts. “It’s provided a really valuable project for the whole team to keep them engaged and thinking outside the usual design parameters of the America’s Cup. Both have had significant benefits for our team.”

The group said on its Facebook page that it might continue to break its new record in the new year.

“We had a bit of dream and it was crazy but it’s starting to kick home,” said Ashby after breaking the record. Plus, he added, the ride was “bloody awesome.”

Read More On:

• America's Cup
• Emirates Team New Zealand

More Marine

This New 116-Foot Pocket Explorer Will Make Larger Expedition Yachts Jealous

Meet Zephyr, a Giant 378-Foot Megayacht With Not One But Two Pools

This Gigantic 814-Foot Cruise Ship Will Double as a Floating Hotel During the Monaco Grand Prix

Forget Boring White. This New 123-Foot Superyacht Comes in a Sleek Custom Silver.

Meet the Wine Club That Thinks Differently.

Receive editor-curated reds from boutique California producers four times a year.

Give the Gift of Luxury

Latest Galleries in Marine

11 Fascinating Facts About Tankoa’s Library-Quiet 169-Foot Project Secret

Bee Explorer Yacht in Photos

More from our brands, gut health goes viral with colostrum, digestive enzymes and fiber on the rise, nfl to meet again on private equity on august 27th in minneapolis, how to watch every ‘alien’ movie online for free (and get the blu-ray set for 50% off), over 100 firefighters are tackling a blaze on somerset house’s roof in london, the best yoga mats for any practice, according to instructors.

• CLASSIFIEDS
• NEWSLETTERS
• SUBMIT NEWS

Emirates Team New Zealand: World wind powered speed record holder on display in Auckland

Related Articles

The News Of Tomorrow, Today

Subscribe to our newsletter!

Now you can get the top stories from Gizmodo delivered to your inbox. Enter your email below.

By subscribing you agree to our  Terms of Use  and  Privacy Policy.

By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Emirates Team New Zealand Land-Yacht Breaks Wind-Powered Land Speed Record

The project was a way to keep its design team sharp in the quiet period between successfully defending the America’s Cup against the Italian challenger Luna Rossa Prada in March 2021 and preparing for the next America’s Cup match in 2024.

However, the ten-month journey from start to finish wasn’t smooth or easy. The project was announced in February 2022. Horonuku, meaning “gliding swiftly across the land” Māori, had completed testing at a Royal New Zealand Air Force base by the end of May. Emirates Team New Zealand had aimed to break the record in August if the conditions allowed. The conditions didn’t. The team arrived at Lake Gairdner, and there was still water in the lake. Rain forced the project to wait months for the lake to dry out and also for the perfect wind conditions for the attempt.

The window finally opened this month, and the opportunity wasn’t wasted. Glenn Ashby, two-time America’s Cup winner and 17-time world champion, piloted the land yacht as the team gradually made faster and faster runs. Eventually, Horonuku broke past the 203 km/h mark and shattered it by a 19 km-per-hour margin. Ashby was elated but confident there was more speed on the table. He said:

“The team and I are obviously buzzing to have sailed Horonuku at a speed faster than anyone has ever before – powered only by the wind. But in saying that we know Horonuku has a lot more speed in it when we get more wind and better conditions. So for sure there is a cause for a celebration, but this isn’t the end. From initial idea and the beginning of this world record attempt, which was pushed and supported by Grant Dalton, Matteo de Nora and the rest of the team at Emirates Team New Zealand, the objective has never been about just beating the record, it has always been about pushing things to the limit and going as fast as we possibly can. We know we can go faster, so we plan to.”

The Cheapest NBN 50 Plans

It’s the most popular NBN speed in Australia for a reason. Here are the cheapest plans available.

LAND SPEED PROJECT

After the 36th America's Cup victory in 2021, the stars aligned for Emirates Team New Zealand to aim for the current World Wind-powered Land speed record. The attempt took shape when the passion for speed of Grant Dalton – Emirates Team New Zealand CEO – and the childhood dream of Glenn Ashby -  a key team member for over 10 years – met the expertise in the technical and research industries of Team Principal Matteo de Nora. In a few weeks, they put together the core group that, just over a year ago, started working through the new design and engineering challenges entirely focused on beating the existing Speed World Record.

THE RECORD: 202.9 km/h (126.1-mph)

The Wind Powered Land Speed World Record is currently held by Britain's Richard Jenkins, whose 'Greenbird' land yacht hit 202.9 km/h (126.1-mph) in 2009 across Ivanpah Lake, a dry lake in the California's Mojave. It took him ten years to achieve the result.

World records attempts must undergo a stringent verification process with either NALSA (North American Land Sailing Association) or FISLY (International Land and Sand Yachting Federation). - Must be sailed on a natural surface with a flat elevation within 1 metre of elevation - Starting only by human push start allowed for the record run - The record speed must be more than one mile per hour for at least 3 seconds above the existing record (>204.5km/h x 3")

THE CRAFT: Horonuku

'Horonuku' - meaning gliding swiftly across the land - has been conceptualised, designed and built by Emirates Team New Zealand. A one-of-a-kind 14-metre hard-winged land yacht with no engines. It's all about wind. Instead of a conventional sail, Horonuku uses a rigid wing that produces thrust, as an aeroplane wing produces lift. The entire craft is built of carbon composite materials, aside from the metal parts used in bearings for the wing and the wheels.  Length (long mode) = 14.2m Max Beam = 8.2m Wing height from ground = 11.1m Wing = tailplane actuated unstayed rigid wing spar Total Mass (incl max ballast) = 2800kg Power = wind only, no stored energy allowed Wheels = 2x inline rears 18", 1x front and 1x pod 15" Construction = vacuum-formed carbon fibre epoxy sandwich panel main body elements Controls = steering from wheel, brakes/tail flap trim function from foot pedals/hand levers

THE PILOT: Glenn Ashby

Born in 1977 in Bendigo, Australia, Glenn is a long-time Emirates Team New Zealand member with an outstanding sailing career that includes, among others, three America's Cups, an Olympic silver medal and 17 World Championships in four different classes of boat.

EMIRATES TEAM NEW ZEALAND: The core group

To face the design and engineering challenge of Horonuku’s endeavour to be the fastest wind-powered craft in history, Emirates Team New Zealand had to put together a few of their best member. Together with Team Principal Matteo de Nora, the core group consists of naval architects Guillaume Verdier, Romaric Neyhousser and Benjamin Muyul, Mechanical/Structural engineers Jeremy Palmer, Romain Gard, Tim Meldrum, Adrian Robb and Jarrod Hammond and shore crew members Sean Regan and Dave French.

THE LOCATION: Lake Gairdner, Australia

Lake Gairdner is located about 440 kilometres northwest of the state capital of Adelaide and 150 km from the nearest town along dusty outback roads. The lake is over 160 km long and 48 km across, with salt over 1.2 metres thick in some places. The usually bone-dry salt lake in South Australia had 50mm of water in it in July due to abnormal weather conditions. About 100mm of water evaporation is expected each month, and as summer approaches, this will only increase. As will the winds, with October expected to be the windiest month of the year in the location.

THE CONDITIONS:

It's a technical and tactical challenge as highly contingent on weather and conditions. Constant evaluation and plan adjustments are essential to ascertain the perfect weather window to attempt the record. Just a few knots could equal success or failure. Approximately 30 to 35kts of wind and a dry surface are crucial elements to have a chance of breaking the current record. 'Horonuku' needs about 7km distance to go from a standing start to full record speed.

Yachting World

• Digital Edition

New Zealand aims for windpowered land speed record

• Toby Heppell
• May 24, 2022

Emirates Team New Zealand are in a bid to set a new windpowered land speed record. Here's everything we know about their plans so far

Not content with being one of the most successful teams in the history of the America’s Cup – and current holders of the Cup – Emirates Team New Zealand is attempting to set a new wind powered land speed record.

The team announced its intention to try for the record in early 2022 and are now well on the way to making an official record attempt.

As of the 23rd May 2022, Emirates Team New Zealand has completed a successful week of testing at Whenuapai Air Base where they have been able to run Horonuku , their speed sailing land yacht, up to nearly maximum load and complete structural and component checks.

As has become a significant part of Emirates Team New Zealand culture, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei (an Auckland-based Māori hapū in New Zealand) as the iwi manaaki of the team have again named and blessed the craft in its endeavour to be the fastest wind powered craft in history.

‘ Horonuku ’ means gliding swiftly across land. Horo means fast or swift movement and nuku is connected to over earth or land.

With a week of testing now under their belts, the team says that in this initial testing week Horonuku has worked extremely well, has been sailed in 15-30 knots and already seen speeds in excess of 140kmph.

The team has another week of testing scheduled before shipping to Australia on 9th June where the planned record attempt will be taking place. During this time there will be some small changes implemented to the steering geometry and wing ballast and finally some testing will take place with the slick rear tyres.

The windpowered Land Speed record

The current wind powered land speed record has stood for an astonishing 13 years, having been set back in 2009 by British innovator Richard Jenkins in his custom built land yacht, Greenbird .

The 2009 wind powered land speed record run was the culmination of a decade of trying to break the record by Jenkins, who had travelled to a series of locations throughout Australia, Britain, and the United States, but struggled to find suitable weather conditions for him to reach maximum speeds. Jenkins eventually found success at Ivanpah Lak, a dry lake bed in the Mojave Desert, California.

His record-setting run to set a new wind powered land speed record saw him record 126.1 mph (202.9 km/h) in the Ecotricity-sponsored solid wing-sailed land yacht, Greenbird – the fifth iteration of the craft that he had built over the many years it took him to break the record.

Lake Gairdner in South Australia is a potential location for the record attempt

Jenkins’ new record eclipsed the previous benchmark, which American Bob Schumacher set a decade previously, by just shy of 10mph. It also continued a British tradition for speed that dates to the 1920s, when Sir Malcolm Campbell set several records on land and sea.

Greenbird was made entirely of carbon composite materials, and the only metal parts were the bearings for the solid wingsail and the wheels. The enormous power generated by a solid wingsail and a wide wheelbase meant that Greenbird could achieve vehicle speeds up to five times greater than wind speed.

Solid wingsails of a similar type to that used by Greenbird are now familiar to many sailors – even if they remain the preserve of high performance development designs. The solid wing generates lift in the same manner as an aircraft wing and, unlike material sails, does not deform under pressure.

A well built and engineered wingsail is typically vastly more efficient at speed than a soft sail.

America’s Cup winners to land speed record holders?

It is this incredible efficiency in generating power that has seen wingsails adopted for the America’s Cup . The sail concept was successfully used by BMW Oracle Racing on the giant trimaran in 2010, then also used when the event moved to the high performance AC72 catamarans in 2013.

The kiwis have plenty of experience when it comes to solid wings.

Any seasoned fan of America’s Cup racing will know it is – primarily – a design, engineering and technology contest. It attracts the biggest names in the world of sailing and can make stars out of the winners but, as with the world of Formula 1 (a sport many Cup teams have formed significant partnerships with in recent years) the team with the fastest boat (or car) usually comes out on top.

Emirates Team New Zealand have been totally dominant in the last two America’s Cup cycles so it is unsurprising that they have turned their significant engineering, design and computer simulation skills to trying to become the new wind powered land speed record holders.

The plan currently would see the team take a first run at the record in July / August on one of Australia’s vast salt lakes. Lake Gairdner in South Australia or Lake Lefroy in Western Australia are both potential locations.

Any world record needs to be stringently verified and will require officials from the North America Land Speed Association to measure and record the run with a specific set of rules that must be adhered to in order to qualify for the World Record.

Glenn Ashby has been instrumental in Emirates Team New Zealand’s Cup success – both as part of the sailing team on the water and liaising with design and engineering teams to encourage development.

Australian Ashby came into the New Zealand America’s Cup squad as a performance multihull expert. He has won 3 America’s Cups, an Olympic Silver Medal and 17 World Championships in 4 different classes of boat. Away from sailing Ashby also has a past in land yachts and is a keen motorbiker.

He also shares a long-held interest in the land speed record with ETNZ CEO Grant Dalton. In the lull in the Cup sailing cycle after their 36th America’s Cup victory in 2021, the chance presented itself to try and take on the speed record.

“I have never spent so much time on the computer as I have this past year,” says Ashby, who has been working on the project while unable to leave Australia and go to New Zealand due to covid travel restrictions. “Basically, from the point that Dalts said ‘let’s look at it’ after the finish of AC36, we have been all go.

“First job was a two-week in-depth feasibility study to ensure enough of a global understanding that this was something that could be done in a positive way for ETNZ and would not impact the team and its America’s Cup objectives financially or resource wise.”

Emirates Team New Zealand’s landyacht will look similar to current record holder, Greenbird . Photo: Emirates Team New Zealand

The New Zealand land yacht

“In doing our research and digging deeper and deeper into the intricacies of the design challenges, it became very apparent that Richard [Jenkins, builder of Greenbird ] really did an incredible job with his world record design.” explains Ashby.

“As a team we explored some pretty creative and innovative conceptual ideas in the quest for more speed, however in the end our design and performance principles evolved into a concept reasonably similar in basic layout to the existing record holder, which really emphasised to us what a huge challenge this will be.”

New territory

Wind power will be very familiar to Emirates Team New Zealand, as will the design, technology, complex composites work, aerodynamics, and many other aspects of building a land speed record holder. But what will be a new challenge for the team will be the wheels and tyres, about which they have almost no experience.

The man leading the charge in the area is Mechanical Engineer Tim Meldrum, a mountain biking enthusiast – one of the key designers behind the legendary Cyclors mechanical system that was so integral to the team’s success winning the America’s Cup back for New Zealand in 2017.

Wheels and tyres represent a new area for Emirates Team New Zealand. Photo: Emirates Team New Zealand

The team will be using a mixture of off-the-shelf wheel and tyre combinations for the outrigger and twin rear wheels, but have custom designed and manufactured their own front wheel in order to get the steering accuracy they need.

With a craft likely to be so similar to Greenbird, it will take everything Team New Zealand knows about marginal gains to beat the current wind powered land speed record. Areas such as machining their own front tyre might just turn out to be the vital advantage they need to set a new record.

“The objective is to design a craft that becomes the fastest wind powered land yacht ever.” said Glenn Ashby.

“And no one would have ever been that fast in a wind powered craft on or off the water. So that’s a pretty bloody exciting thing to try to become.”

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams. Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

• The Inventory
• Beyond Cars

The New Land Yacht Aiming to Break a Land Speed Record

America's cup-winning emirates team new zealand is attempting to break the wind-powered record.

When I hear the term land yacht, the first kind of vehicle that comes to mind is either a full-size luxury sedan or an SUV. Could you imagine a Cadillac Escalade setting a land speed record? Not me. Though, there’s a new literal land-going sailing yacht looking to raise the bar. Emirates Team New Zealand, the America’s Cup-winning sailing team, has launched a land yacht to attempt to break the wind-powered land speed record later this year. The current wind-powered land speed is 126.1 mph (202.9 km/h), set in 2009.

Suggested Reading

Earlier this week, Team New Zealand officially unveiled its land speed record challenger, the Horonuku. The vehicle will be powered, for lack of a better term, by a 10-meter (32.8 feet) tall rigid carbon-fiber wingsail. The wingsail is designed to propel the land yacht up to 155.3 mph (250 km/h) if the conditions allow.

Glenn Ashby will pilot the vehicle. Ashby has won two America’s Cup Matches as a sailor with Team New Zealand. He said in a statement:

“There is definitely an element of needing the stars to align when achieving a world record like this where you need the conditions on the ground and in the air to be perfect. It is our job now over the next month or so, to get as much useful testing as we possibly can done here in Auckland, before we put Horonuku on a ship to Lake Gairdner to continue testing and tuning on the salt lake so we are ready to roll when a weather window comes along.”

Related Content

Emirates Team New Zealand and the Horonuku are expected to make their record attempt in August on Lake Gairdner, a salt lake in South Australia. To break the record, all Ashby has to do is exceed 126.1 mph for three seconds during his run. The sailing team is also preparing for their next America’s Cup Match in 2024 in Barcelona, Spain.

• Today's news
• Reviews and deals
• Climate change
• 2024 election
• Newsletters
• Fall allergies
• Health news
• Mental health
• Sexual health
• Family health
• So mini ways
• Unapologetically
• Buying guides

Entertainment

• How to Watch
• My watchlist
• Stock market
• Biden economy
• Personal finance
• Stocks: most active
• Stocks: gainers
• Stocks: losers
• Trending tickers
• World indices
• US Treasury bonds
• Top mutual funds
• Highest open interest
• Highest implied volatility
• Currency converter
• Basic materials
• Communication services
• Consumer cyclical
• Consumer defensive
• Financial services
• Industrials
• Real estate
• Mutual funds
• Credit cards
• Balance transfer cards
• Cash back cards
• Rewards cards
• Travel cards
• Online checking
• High-yield savings
• Money market
• Home equity loan
• Personal loans
• Student loans
• Options pit
• Fantasy football
• Pro Pick 'Em
• College Pick 'Em
• Fantasy baseball
• Fantasy hockey
• Fantasy basketball
• Download the app
• Daily fantasy
• Scores and schedules
• GameChannel
• World Baseball Classic
• Premier League
• CONCACAF League
• Champions League
• Motorsports
• Horse racing

New on Yahoo

• Privacy Dashboard

‘Land yacht’ tested ahead of land speed record attempt

STORY: Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Can this ‘land yacht’ break the wind-powered land speed record?

Date: May 21, 2022

This New Zealand sailing team tested its craft 'Horonuku'

ahead of a world record attempt in Australia

Emirates Team New Zealand are four time America's Cup champions

Recommended Stories

Falcons saw enough of michael penix jr. last week that he won't play again this preseason.

Michael Penix Jr. is done for the preseason, Raheem Morris said.

Russell Wilson makes his Steelers preseason debut, and the offense goes nowhere with him

Russell Wilson got his first preseason start after being held out last week.

Here’s how often you should actually be washing your hair, according to experts

There are a lot of myths out there when it comes to washing your hair. It's time to set the record straight.

These are the 10 longest-lasting vehicles on the road today

iSeeCars' latest analysis found that a handful of models have a much greater chance of lasting 250,000 miles than others.

Robert Griffin III, Sam Ponder let go by ESPN in budget moves

Griffin had been with ESPN since 2021 and worked on their college football and NFL coverage.

2025 Ford Mustang 60th Anniversary adds Brittany Blue to the palette

Brittany Blue is joining as one of the possible colors for the Mustang's 60th Anniversary Package.

Jonathan Taylor among the few NFL players to wear the 'guardian cap' on his helmet

Jonathan Taylor's helmet looked a bit odd during his first preseason game.

Haason Reddick requests a trade; what are pass rusher's top potential landing spots?

Which teams might be interested in adding a top pass rusher?

Longtime dirt Late Model racer Scott Bloomquist killed in plane crash

Bloomquist was one of the most successful dirt Late Model drivers ever.

Paris Olympics: British marathoner reveals she finished race with a broken leg

"At the halfway mark, I knew that it was going to be incredibly painful."

2024 NFL preseason: How to watch the Detroit Lions vs. Kansas City Chiefs game today

The NFL preseason is in full swing; here's how to watch the Lions play the Chiefs today.

Yankees OF Alex Verdugo is reportedly allergic to his own tattoos, batting gloves

Not ideal for the Yankees outfielder.

TE position preview: Best year for the position in fantasy... ever? | Yahoo Fantasy Forecast

We conclude position preview week at Yahoo Fantasy with maybe the deepest position in fantasy football: Tight Ends. Yep, that's right, the TE position may never be deeper than it looks on paper in 2024. Andy Behrens is back in America to join Matt Harmon to discuss the often maligned position in fantasy football.

US families are 'woefully underprepared' for the great wealth transfer

The greatest intergenerational wealth transfer in history is underway, and many Americans are unprepared.

Bills to release Chase Claypool due to toe injury, 3 months after signing him

Claypool is looking for his fifth team in three years.

Brandon Aiyuk deal to Steelers reportedly awaits decision from 49ers, who must be conflicted

The Steelers and 49ers reportedly have the framework of a deal in place for Brandon Aiyuk.

Former NBA player Royce White wins Republican nomination for Senate seat in Minnesota

White, who played nine minutes total in the NBA, has embraced antisemitic conspiracy theories and hateful language in his bid for Amy Klobuchar's Senate seat.

EU warns X over illegal content risks — Musk replies with Tropic Thunder insult meme

How is the European Union's bid to get Elon Musk to follow its rules going? More recently, following civic unrest in the U.K., the Commission has warned that the disinformation being spread on X related to the violent disturbances in parts of the U.K. may be factored into its DSA enforcement.

Apple is reportedly forging ahead with a rotating, iPad-like tabletop device

Apple has reportedly assigned hundreds of employees wo work on a tabletop device that combines a rotating, iPad-like display with a robotic arm.

Researchers discover potentially catastrophic exploit present in AMD chips for decades

Researchers discovered a potentially catastrophic vulnerability in AMD chips that has been there for decades. It’s called a ‘Sinkclose’ flaw.