what the press say

The blokart is attracting plenty of media interest, hugely assisted by the fact that journalists get a fantastic day of excitement when we take 'em out blokarting. The blokart has featured on STV's "the point" show and on BBC's "Out of Doors" program. We've included some of the press write-ups here to try and give you an unbiased opinion. Bear in mind it's hard to write something negative if you've spent all day grinning.

Sailing New Zealand magazine article, June/July 2000 Words by James Fleet

Daily Record, Thursday Feb 8 2001, Blowin' in the Wind.

Sunday Herald, 7th january 2001 Wind Instrument by Ali Paton

Sailing New Zealand magazine article,
June/July 2000
Words by James Fleet

Here at the magazine we pride ourselves in being the only magazine in New Zealand, by New Zealanders that focuses solely on sailing vessels, whether they be one metre or a hundred metres long; we like to think they're all part of the sailing family. There's radio-controlled yachting, vision impaired yachting, disabled yachting and many other types of sailing that are just a little bit departed from the norm for whatever reason. We have covered one contest or another from all these "types" of sailing over the past few years but to my mind we have never encountered an aspect of sailing that has the potential to let everyone in the family no matter how old or what gender, go for a sail for such an affordable price. Just add water, right? Wrong.
The Blokart is the latest design in the fast paced sport of land yachting. I first ran into the Blokart team while setting up the Sailing New Zealand stall for the 2000 New Zealand boat Show. Situated right across from our stall was the Blokart Team, headed by chief designer, Paul Beckett and his son Matt. At first I only saw the giant banner with the Blokart logo. "Blokart, hmmm, what the heck could that be?" I asked myself. The only way to find out without waiting to see the product was to go over and ask, so I proceeded to wipe my brow after the hard work of rigging my twelve footer for the stall and wandered over. After introductions and the mandatory Boat Show procedure of swapping business cards, I asked Paul if he could explain to me what a Blokart was as I was too excited to wait, (the silhouette of this windsurfer mainsail with wheels on their giant banner was simply too much for a sailing speed freak like myself to handle without an immediate explanation!). "Well," he explained, "we've designed a land yacht that rigs in five minutes, sails at sixty kilometres an hour in a good breeze, is able to be sailed in a car park, or even a tennis court as it turns in its own circle and all this comes in a bag that fits in the back of my Mazda Familia, weighs a mere 24 kilos and costs less than a windsurfer. I said, "Greenlane Hospital is across the road mate, you'd better go and have your head read." Well we all know I didn't make that comment but I seriously thought it! What I did ask him was when I could see one. "Five minutes," he said. "My son's bringing a couple to rig up for the stand now." No worries, I thought to myself as I gazed out of hall number ten at the car park in the anticipation of seeing 30 knots and no cars. Not so. This is a shame as Paul and Matt are some of the more approachable guys I'd met at the show and they were just as keen to show me how one worked as I was keen to have a go. As they had to rig a couple of the karts they had in stock for display, I stood and watched in amazement as Matt proceeded to rig one in a little less than five minutes. Blimey, he wasn't kidding, was my next thought It wasn't long before I asked him if he could put one aside for me. Thinking back now, this is the smartest thing I did at the boat show as I observed seven Blokarts depart in the hands of mums, dads, granddads and youngsters over the course of the first day of the show. I committed myself to three of the five days of the show and over the time I spent in our stand, I observed a barrage of people flock to the little Blokart stall that dominated the yachting pavilion. I would frequently hear the comment, "Go to the car and get my credit cards son, go on, run!"
This was becoming far too much for me to handle as I stared at my little package sitting in the corner with a sold sign on it. By this stage it was four o'clock on the last day of the show and I was in agony - the anticipation of my first blat in a Blokart. A quick look outside confirmed ideal wind conditions but dwindling light. Not long after my mini forecast a couple of my good skiff sailing friends arrived at our stand, Alex and Stu. "Check those things out, Alex," I said as I swung him in the appropriate direction. "Bought one yet, Fleety?" was his first and obviously well educated comment. After copping the expected flak for having all the toys, I invited the boys for a late test sail after they had seen the show. They were more than a little keen.
Arriving at the chosen test venue, which happened to be the local intermediate school, we were immediately exposed to the portability of this product. It was as simple throwing the supplied carry case (Blokart included) into the boot of our car, (threw it is a slight exaggeration but the complete package is light enough if you so desire), and retrieving it from the boot when we arrived. I know this sounds a little simple or irrelevant to the story, but sit down and think about the last time you chucked your land yacht in the boot of the car to go sailing at 4 o'clock on a winter evening at your local school car park. The concept just grows and grows on you! Alex and Stu then proceeded to prove that if you can rig one of these things by yourself in five minutes, two people could get it done in two and a half minutes, obviously keen to go for a sail.
Blokart rigged and ready for a serious attempt on the land speed record, we found what we thought to be a serious design fault in the cunningham adjustment. We couldn't get any tension in the luff of the sail. This was solved with a minor adjustment (attaching the head of the sail to the top of the mast) and before we knew it we were fighting over who would go first. "Away you go Alex," I didn't have to ask twice. A tad of push and a bit of sheet was all he needed to be careering off down the schoolyard with the added benefit of not having to stack.
It was at this stage in our impromptu test that we discovered one of the beauties of land yachting, wind may be easy to a trained eye to detect on water but no one I know has trained the eye to spot it on concrete. As a result of this discovery I was able to understand why the mast had been engineered in such a way that it would bend off to the leeward side in the event of an unexpected gust, thus relinquishing the power of the wind which may have tipped you over if you weren't aware of the power of the wind which may have tipped you over if you weren't aware of the approaching gust. This is a feature of the Blokart that makes it real family fun as anyone who doesn't have the basics of sailing down, is going to be able to sail the kart in a decent breeze without fear of a spill. It's not like sailing a dinghy where perfect trim equals best speed. This isn't to say that this rule doesn't apply to this little land yacht, it just has different results. In other words you are not going to be wet on a centreboard if you come out of a tack with slightly too much sheet on, you'll be doing 30kph instead of 35kph, get my drift, the thing's fool proof. This feature makes the Blokart a more wife/girlfriend friendly purchase, unlike the 49er or other high performance sailing craft.
The first thing my mother asked upon sighting the Blokart was "How do you stop?" The answer is relatively simple. I tried putting my foot out whilst rounding up into the wind only to find that putting your foot outside the kart is dangerous and unsafe but worst of all the most natural thing to do when you want to stop quickly.
I then recalled Paul (Blokart designer) telling me in no uncertain terms not to put your feet outside the kart whilst it is moving. Eventually I found that rounding up and turning the wheel as hard as you can in one direction after you have rounded up and losing speed rolling into the wind forced the front wheel to act as a brake.
So now we knew how to start and stop. The next thing on the agenda was naturally an assessment of potential top speed. Straws were going to be drawn but this was not an issue, as my 100-kilo frame was not built for speed and Stu and I both agreed that Alex's light frame was perfect for low altitude flying. So, when the right gust arrived we guided the kart carrying Alex, with sheet hard on, into a good 15-knot gust. It wasn't long before the windward wheel decided it didn't need the comfort of the ground any longer and Alex again went careering off down the school yard. Once again, the braking features of the kart became apparent, this time however, it was an unwanted mainsheet style braking manoeuvre. As with keeping all body parts inside the kart whilst moving, I also forgot the tip of tying your mainsheet tail back in the kart. Alex found it hard to overcome the problem of the mainsheet wrapping around the only main wheel left on the ground causing an immediate halt in the rotation of the wheel, not very nice when you are enjoying a nice blat at around 40kph.
A suggestion was made that we try the kart on the grass. This was unsuccessful due mostly to the length of the grass and the fact that it was quite wet. I am almost positive that a summer sail on the grass would be more than a possibility. As the light faded to the point where we could barely see each other let alone far enough in front of us to sail we decided to pack up. Once again the light kart almost packed itself up it was so easy and we all ran to the car to avoid the oncoming rain.
In conclusion I would to point out that I think this land yacht has the ability to become a thriving class in New Zealand. The only thing my yachting mates and I could have wanted more on our test day was one Blokart each so we could race. With a few road cones and a stopwatch anything could become possible. Well done Paul Beckett, another innovator joins the ranks of great New Zealand designers. I am sure it won't be long before the Blokart is "The Laser of Land Yachts".

Daily Record,
Thursday Feb 8 2001

Blowin' in the Wind.
Windsurfing is just too strenuous, dahling. And while fashionable gear for real sailing on water is great, the salt water is murder on the complexion.
No, if you want to be seriously racy but keep your feet on dry land, the blokart (pronounced "blow-kart") is the thing.
Brought into Scotland from New Zealand by intrepid paragliding instructor Tom Duffin from Edinburgh, the blokart looks set to be the next executive toy to die for - except that it appears an awful lot safer than some of the other opportunities available to weekend thrillseekers.
Assembled in minutes, the blokart travels in it's own nifty carry bag, the size of a large suitcase. When assembled it runs a bit like a windsurfer but on any flat surface of land, whether that be a beach or empty car park.
It runs purely on wind caught in its impressive four-metre sail. Direction is courtesy a hand-held steering bar and braking is achieved turning against the wind - as there are no brakes.
This ease of use means that the techniques can be picked up in minutes, and there's none of that embarrassing falling off your board into the water as there is in windsurfing, the blokart's water-based equivalent.
With hand-held controls and a built-in safety harness, riders lie on their backs to travel, so you don't even need to be young, fit or gorgeous (especially if you are moving quickly).
And best of all, thanks to Tom, these are the first machines of their type to be brought into the UK, with less than half a dozen to be seen the length of the UK.
At around £1500, the blokart is expensive enough to qualify as an executive toy but accessible enough for anyone willing to invest in cutting-edge action. And for those who care about such things … the folded-down kit DOES fit into the passenger seat of a Porsche.
Tom has made a career out of taking himself to the edge, and aside from owning the paragliding school, he owns the suitably named exotic sports shop Another Planet in Edinburgh. But he stresses that blokarting is not an extreme sport. It can be handled by children as young as seven and is suitable for wheelchair users, too, since there are no foot and leg controls.
Apart from anything else, it's a seriously cool hobby to drop into conversation at work.
For further information, contact Tom Duffin at Another Planet on 0131 337 0072.

Sunday Herald,
7th january 2001 Wind Instrument by Ali Paton

Many holidaymakers like to bring home a little memento to remind them of their latest trip but when newlyweds Tom and Christine Duffin brought back a Blokart from New Zealand they did well not to pick up a charge for excess luggage.
The majority of newly-married couples choose to spend their honeymoon basking on a beautiful beach in hot romantic climes but not this pair. Tom, who is 37, and Christine, four years his junior, decided to spend their honeymoon last November paragliding in New Zealand.
As a result of too much wind, their gliders never saw the light of day, hence where the Blokart (pronounced blow cart) fits into the wedding picture. As chief instructor of a paragliding school he has been running for 10 years, Tom is a big fan of anything a little out of the ordinary, which explains the name of his Edinburgh shop, Another Planet.
A willing accomplice, Christine's paragliding hobby took off three years ago, which is why, when the couple finally decided to tie the knot, they opted for a three-week flying honeymoon.
When Tom stumbled upon the Blokart, launched in New Zealand just a couple of months prior to the Duffins' trip, it was love at first sight. As a potentially unnecessary third party in his relationship, it is not too outrageous an idea to assume that the arrival of the Blokart could have caused a severe rift between Mr Duffin and his newly acquired missus. As luck would have it, Christine also fell under the spell of the Blokart once she experienced the thrills for herself. Just like her husband, she was sold on the device almost immediately because of how easy it was to manoeuvre. Speeding effortlessly along the grass and changing direction as if she had been sailing for years, Tom remembers his wife doing a wheelie (on two of the three Blokart wheels) the first time she had a go.
Incapable of breaking his Blokarting bond, Tom purchased one of the crafts with a view to introducing it to any adventurous Scot who would stop long enough to marvel at his newest toy. Which is exactly why I decided to give it a blow.
Heralded as the ''latest innovation in one design wind-powered technology'' the best way to describe a Blokart is to think of a wind surfing sail on wheels, or a miniature land sailer. Designed to make ''catching the breeze'' an easy option for all who travel in her, not only is she far easier to get the hang of than wind surfing, at a retail price of #1295 she is also far less expensive than her land sailer sister.
According to the literature a Blokart can be assembled in 4 to 6 minutes. However, in my opinion, they would need a team of Formula One wheel changers standing by. Tom took around 10 minutes to construct the Blokart the day I met him, although I must confess I did chatter incessantly in his ear and ask lots of questions during the process.
No tools come with the craft because none is required in its construction. All you need is a large, firm surface such as a grassy park, sandy beach or, of course, an empty car park to enjoy the freedom of zipping around in a Blokart.
Next on the list of advantages of owning a Blokart is that no helmet or protective clothing is required. An inbuilt safety belt has been designed to keep you firmly in the buggy while in motion. As far as lengthy training courses or tedious hours of practice are concerned, again neither of these is necessary. Within minutes of sliding into the Blokart the driver picks up how to steer based on manoeuvring the boom and steering with the handle bar attached to the front wheel. If you want to get technical you can talk about ''tacking'' and using a ''jibe'' to turn down wind, but basically, I soon worked out how to increase my speed by tightening the main rope or ''sheet''.
This is the beauty of the Blokart, although it operates on the same principles as a wind surfer, the learning curve is nowhere near as steep because you do not have to worry about your balance.
As a beginner, you simply lie back in the buggy and allow the wind to do the rest, easing the sail in and out depending on your desired speed and direction.
When the Blokart is fully erected it stands a mighty 4.2 metres high with a wheelbase of 1.65 metres and the sail measures up at 3.3 square metres. The final fantastic thing about the Blokart is its ability to transform itself in a chameleon-like manner, from a towering wind powered craft into a dinky carry case, not dissimilar to those favoured by air hostesses. The bag has been ingeniously designed to allow the Blokart wheels to be used as the wheels on the packed case.
As the final dimensions measure a mere 1.2 x 0.7 x 0.2 metres, two of these cases could be transported easily in the back of a car. Better still, in terms of storage, under the bed is a realistic option. The Australians have been clocked doing an amazing 90km in Tom's pride and joy. Thankfully, I failed to get anywhere near this kind of speed the morning I had a go on Dunbar beach, but I wasn't on my honeymoon. WE'RE offering the chance for you and a friend to experience the thrills of a Blokart courtesy of Tom Duffin at Another Planet.
As well as running his paragliding school from the Edinburgh shop, Tom offers a whole range of flying equipment and outdoor clothing.
The shop can be contacted on 0131 337 0072