In a sports car, you can use the throttle to balance the car as it goes smartly round a corner. On a sail cart, this fore/aft power balancing is accomplished by aligning the sail cart's center of balance with the sail's center of effort. When the front and rear tire loose traction simultaneously the cart is neutrally balanced. A rare condition.

Two rules of sail cart balance: 1, Too much power forward and the front wheel will steer well at low speeds, but wash out and slide sideways at high speeds. 2. Too much power rearward and the leeward rear tire wants to slide out prematurely due to a lack of traction. The effect of moving the mast base forward or backward an inch will be easily noticed on a short test sail.

The Physics of Sailing @ Ebb Tide Windsurfing starts off...Years ago, I wanted to better understand how a sailboard worked....this excellent article is applicable to mini yachts.

Sail height is also an important factor in setting up a sail cart....generally, a lower sail is faster and keeps the tipping forces to a minimum.

Tires should be inflated to the max, soft tires are hard to push. Knobby tires make a delightful harmonic humming sound as the sail cart speeds up and slows down, but they are slower than slick tires.

Having a nicely balanced sail cart is a delight, an unbalanced one is merely fun. Tuning includes adjusting the mast position and selecting tires and sails suitable for the day's sailing conditions.

At speed, (25+ MPH) even a very small amount of steering will change your heading dramatically. The sensation is one of feeling like the entire sail cart is balanced on the front wheel, which is also where you are standing. This sensation of standing on the front wheel becomes especially pleasing as the windward wheel rises and falls--giving the pilot a masterful three dimensional ride through the wind, sailing video game intensity for real. Wind in your face fun!

High speeds runs are about the only time I move the axles to the outer most position. The mid position is perfect for all conditions except high speed runs. The inner most position makes for the most nimble handling on slaloms. By all means run two different axle lengths and set about discovering which length is the most fun this day.

Now the interesting thing about raising the windward wheel is that in that instant you are no longer piloting a trike, you are now riding a two wheeler, a single track vehicle like a motor cycle; a sail powered scooter really. Not only does Kwikat lean into curves but you get to create an endless series of curves powered by the wind--but imagine you are sitting beside the rear wheel.

If you have a thought for or against I 'd like to hear about it. Cheers, Gordon