Who says yachting is only for boats on water?
Two things. One: the nearest stretch of open water large enough to accommodate any kind of boat is at least a dozen miles away. Two: no sailboat I have ever seen went anywhere near that fast. But the solution has nothing to do with secret testing of new military technology, despite the Portakabin being in the Bassingbourn Army Barracks in Cambridgeshire. No. This Portakabin is home to the Anglia Land Sailing Club and the craft that just raced past is a land yacht. Or a go-kart with a sail. Steve Borrill, the club’s chairman for more than 30 years, is trying to explain the sport’s principles. As someone who has never quite grasped the basics of sailing, I find myself staring at arrows on a piece of paper and wondering, not for the first time, how it is possible to sail against the wind. “But in a land yacht, you are always effectively sailing against the wind,” says Borrill. “That way, you actually go quicker than if you are running with it.” I am even more confused. It is all to do wit