DIY Building and Sailing Instructions for Sail-in-Wing Skate Sails. Set a Speed Record?
The New Ice-Wing Speed, 100 mph? 160 km/h?, can be a complement for all ice and land sailors when wind is too strong for sailing with your ordinary skate sail ice/land yacht.
Cost of material from usd300. Read a dramatic wing sailing article.
Under construction. The required conversion to New Google Sites done. Result not great. If photo appears missing, Reload page. I am slowly improving my 57 sites.
Coming 2024/25 season
New! Ice-Wing Speed. 100 mph? 160 km/h? Start breaking World Records! For moderate to strong breeze: 13 to 31 knots, 7 to 16 m/s. For near gale and gale, 32 to 46 knots, 16 to 23 m/s I have some design suggestions: Many speed records to beat or establish!
Ice-Wing Competition. 70 mph, 120 km/h. For light to moderate breeze: 4 to 18 knots, 2 to 9 m/s.
Ice-Wing Cabriolet. Light and compact in transport and storage.
New! Gliding Sail on Pole. A novel way to sail on ice, land and water
Read article: A bit dramatic survival strong wind race in wings on the Baltic Sea.
200 instructions sold worldwide
Breaking News, Video: Wing Sail wins One of a Kind Race
My popular video (45,000 views) presentation of Sail-In-Wing skate sail
True amateur building methods (I have built all my 20 wings in my living room.)
Ice Wing beats large ice boats in USA. Fast, simple, light, compact & inexpensive! Sail on ice or land. Water???
My Ice-Wing Speed design looks a bit like this Sail-in-Wing skate sail. In very strong winds only the lower part i used. The top, here yellow, is added in strong winds.
Become a Speed Sailing Champion - without breaking the bank! -Material from usd350
A complement for all ice and land sailors when wind is too strong for sailing with you usual skate sail ice/land yacht.
Ice Wing Speed. 100 mph? 160 km/h?
Under construction
An Ice-Wing Competition gets over rigged at 75 mph, 120 km/h, in some 20 knots, 10 m/s, of wind. It has a sail area of 55 sq feet, 5 sqm. To be able to sail faster you need a wing with less sail area. With half the sail area one can sail square root of 2=1.4 faster (not twice as fast as wind forces increase with the relative wind speed squared). So speeds of around 100 mph, 160 km/h should be possible.
Since I built the wing pictured above I have spent the winters in the tropics - very little sailing, some modifications done.
Many speed records to beat or establish!
If you look at http://www.gps-icesailing.com you see that the highest speeds achieved with wind surf rig on a platform are around 60 mph, 100 km/h, - they have run into the "body-air-resistance-wall" or for ice boats: "hull-plank-air-resistance-wall." If you sail in a wing you eliminate your body air drag!
Building sailing instructions for building one Ice Wing Speed. For the wing based on the proven Ice Wing Competition. For the stabilizer an unproven design will be suggested, may need modifications.
Cost of material from around usd350.
Note. Not yet available. Coming season 2024/25.
This Ice-Wing Speed is for sale! USD 6000. See two frames with information here. This is an old Speed Wing. A front of plastic sheet, as in my current design, gives a much better wing. Short video.
Ice-Wing Competition. 70 mph, 120 km/h.
The world's fastest skate sail. Top speed over 75 mph, 120 km/h. Has been sailed on ice, snow and land. Water also possible, with some safety measures.
Has a removable top so sail area can be decreased in strong winds. True amateur home building methods that require no workshop. I am building in my living room.
Cost of material from some US$ 300. Easily folded together for car top transport and storage. Folded size as the transparent part.
In photo above the Ice Wing Competition is sailed on ice with snow drifts. To be avoided because there is a risk that the skates run into hard snow - and you may experience a "Nose Dive" - with possible damage to the wing.
Ice-Wing Competition is a high performance racing sail. It is easily folded together for transport and storage. Approximate figures: Folded size 2.3 m x 0.5 m x 0.6 m (6 ft x 2 ft x 2 ft). Weight 12 kg (25 LB). Sail area 5 sq. m (55 sq. ft).
It has a removable top which is used in light winds.
Rigging or folding together takes five minutes and is done without tools and can be done with gloves on. Building time some 30 hours.
42 pages (when I go to print preview in my page editor). 10 drawings.
It sails some six times faster than the wind in light wind, 4 knots, 2 m/s. That is 24 knots, 12 m/s, on a beam reach (square to the wind). It sails 5 times faster than the wind in strong winds. Top speed is around 75 mph, 120 km/h, reaching, with the gusty winds, plus 30%, we have in Sweden. In more even wind you can sail faster.
All figures are approximate and depends very much how you build your sail. You can chose everything from simple and inexpensive to fast and sophisticated. Variations are explained in the building instructions.
The great performance is due to the streamline shape and that the sailor makes no air resistance as he is inside the wing.
Cost of material (in Sweden) is from around US$ 300.
For more information see "Ice Wing Competition, more information" below.
DIY Building and Sailing Instructions for Sail-in-Wing Skate Sails. Set a Speed Record?
The New Ice-Wing Speed, 100 mph? 160 km/h?, can be a complement for all ice and land sailors when wind is too strong for sailing with your ordinary skate sail ice/land yacht.
Cost of material from usd300. Read a dramatic wing sailing article.
Under construction. The required conversion to New Google Sites done. Result not great. If photo appears missing, Reload page. I am slowly improving my 57 sites.
Ice Wing Cabriolet. Sailor makes little air drag resistance as he is in wing. Compact in transport and storage. Folds into cylindrical package. This sail is for sale at some usd900.
Ice-Wing Cabriolet
It has good performance for its sail area because the sailor makes very little air resistance. It is a nice complement to the Ice Wing Competition, left, as it can be sailed comfortably in strong wind, some 20 knots, 10 m/s, because of its small sail area.
Rolls into a compact tubular pack for storage and for transport on the ice when there is no wind. True amateur home building methods that require no workshop. I am building in my living room. Cost of material from some US$ 200. See frame below for more information.
Experimental. Gliding Sail on Pole for ice, snow, land and water. A Novel way to sail!
Under construction.
The heeling moment on sailor is here independent of height of sail, enabling much taller sails than shown. Leading to very efficient sails - compare slender glider wings.
Unlike traction kites it doesn't fall down in lulls and it has no lines that may be cut by skates when on the ice.
One way to change tack is to stop and sail the other way. Innovative, agile, sailors can probably tack/gybe it overhead at full speed.
Three different variations of the idea are presented.
If you connect the pole to e.g. the skate you have a "no moment rig". The maximum driving force is then not restricted by your weight but by the sideways holding power of the skate, which may be three times larger - resulting in a much higher speed
Easy to build yourself. Cost of material from some usd150. A racing 10 sqm kite costs around usd 2000 and maybe slower because of curved planform and uneven surface.
Basic building and sailing instructions for building one Gliding Sail on Pole.
Cost of material from around usd200.
Note. Instruction not yet complete. Allow two weeks for delivery.
Wing Skate Sailing Article for reading
A survival Swedish championship race, 75 mph, 120 km/h, in very strong winds, on the frozen Baltic Sea. Also: Falling and crashing wings. How the wing develops its driving force. Typical wing construction. Photos of Amazing Sailing Skates. Basic How to Sail. And more. Ten pictures and drawings, 3700 words. Equivalent to some 6 pages in a magazine. See frame far below for more information.
Ice Wing Competition, more information
The detailed building and sailing instructions, over 6000 words, revised 2022, and based on my experience of building some 20 wings, includes:
Five pages of text and two pages with drawings on how to build a wing.
Streamline shapes for the forward part of the wing.
Two pages of sailing instructions, how to: get in, start, turn, reduce force in tough conditions, find the top speed, keep going in light wind, brake - and more.
Basic safety: rules, equipment and procedures.
A brief building instruction for sailing skates.
Instruction on how to sharpen your sailing skates yourself.
Sailing skates are longer and has less rocker than hockey skates. You can sail on hockey skates but I do recommend sailing skates.
If you have any questions while building please let me know.
If you have suggestions about modifications of the wing described in the building instructions I will be happy to comment.
As it beats large ice boats (Ice Wing beats large ice boats in USA. Wins One-of-a-Kind Race. ) it has an incredible performance for its size and simplicity. With no restrictions to the design, it maybe the most challenging ice sailing class to design, build and sail. It has not yet really been tried on land, with roller skates, on skate board or on a scooter. Will you be first to beat the land yachts?
These sails give you the best speed for your money. They are about as simple and small as things can get for high performance sailing.
A reason for this is that you use much of what you are born with instead of it is made e.g. in a workshop: Legs for support and suspension. Feet for steering. Your body as a mast supporting the sail. Your mass as ballast to counteract the force of the wind. Your arms and hands for sheeting the wing. Your sense of balance keeps you from falling and you don't need a long and wide platform as that of ice boats. You don't need a cockpit - you just slip into the wing!
Our bodies are very capable. Use it! Robots can walk, Wikipedia, 2011: "None can walk over rocky, uneven terrain" - it will be some time until they can skate sail. :)
The weight of a Competition sail is around 35 lb, 15 kg. An ice or land yacht weighs some ten to twenty times more and requires correspondingly bigger resources in material and labor time. Eco-friendly!
Use what you are born with: brain, body, legs, feet. Instead of things made in a workshop.
The difference between skate sailing and ice/land yachting
Skate sailing is sailing with ice or roller skates on ones feet and being propelled by a sail. Ice or land yachting on the other hand is e.g. sitting in a hull or similar which is equipped with skates, called runners on ice boats, or wheels and a sail.
Wing skate sailing is an easy to learn sport. The only requirement is that you can skate. A wing is easy to build. Cost of material can be kept low, from some US$ 200 only for the Cabriolet. Build a wing now and experience the true thrills of ice sailing.
So that everyone should be able to build a wing sail, or have one built for him, I have developed true amateur home building methods that requires no workshop (you can build it in the living room as there is no welding, smelly or smeary chemicals involved), special tools or expensive materials. Tools needed are very basic: drill, vice, metal files, screwdriver, wrench, metal saw and a household sewing machine.
If your sewing machine can't handle the fabric, bought from sail maker, a solution can be that you cut and assemble the fabric parts with double adhesive tape, from sail maker, then ask sail maker to make the sewing and mount grommets. Or leave all the fabric work to a sail maker.
When you build your skate sail you can:
Choose its dimensions to suit your body size.
Influence the performance dependent on how elaborate you make it.
Influence the final weight, you may want it light.
Influence the cost of materials by choosing different grades of material.
If you have any questions while building please let me know.
If you have suggestions about modifications of the wing described in the building instructions I will be happy to comment.
Ice Wing competition - the world's fastest skate sail, 120 km/h, 75 mph.
Ice Wing Cabriolet, more information
Ice Wing Cabriolet, picture above, is a wing skate sail with emphasis on lightness, portability and quick rigging.
In Sweden day-long group skating excursions on lakes and in archipelagos is a very popular sport. On such excursions you can carry a Cabriolet sail and sail when the wind is suitable. Sailing on ice not checked beforehand is dangerous but being with the group and keeping behind it and in its tracks you will sail on quite safe ice.
28 pages (when I go to print preview in the Page editor). 7 drawings.
Owing to its special construction it folds into a small cylindrical size: length 1.2 m (4 feet) and diameter 15 cm (6 inches). Weight 2.5 kg (6 LB). Sail area 2 sq. m (22 sq. ft). Rigging or folding together takes a couple of minutes and is done without tools and can be done with gloves on. Building time 15 hours.
It sails about two times faster than the wind. In a moderate wind of 5 m/s (10 knots) you sail some 10 m/s, 40 km/h, (20 knots). Top speed around 80 km/h (50 mph).
All figures are very approximate and depends very much how you build your sail. Easy to build.
Cost of material (in Sweden) is from around US Dollars 200.
If the Cabriolet is built higher, above the head, with a window, it will be considerably faster but still very compact when folded together.
The building and sailing instruction includes:
text and drawings on how to build a Cabriolet skate sail.
sailing instructions, how to: get in, start, turn, reduce force in tough conditions, find the top speed, keep going in light wind, brake - and more.
Basic safety: rules, equipment and procedures.
A brief building instruction for sailing skates. Instruction on how to sharpen your sailing skates yourself.
If you have any questions while building please let me know.
If you have suggestions about modifications of the wing described in the building instructions I will be happy to comment.
Note! A potentially Dangerous, Deadly Sport!
The author assumes no responsibility for accidents, injury or death incurred as a result of the use or misuse of information contained in these building plans and instructions for skate sails. Skate sailing contains inherent risks which no amount of care, caution or expertise can eliminate. The information is no substitute for ice sailing experience and good judgement. Acts of God, thin ice, cracks in ice, double ice, frost bite, wind chill factors equivalent to - 50 deg C, -58 F, other crafts, persons or creatures, are all part of the skate sailing experience. Every participant must assume responsibility for his or her own safety and survival, for the rest ......... there are a lot of other things to do.
Note. Build without plans. You are welcome to build a wing skate sail without my plans. But the risk is great it will not work well if you are not an experienced designer and builder. You probably will get dimensions and materials wrong. Resulting in a wing possibly too strong, heavy, in some places and too weak, leading to breakages, in other places. Also you will not have the sailing instructions. If you build without my plans I would be happy to hear from you and I will supply you with a sail number.
A skate sailing article, more information
A survival race in wings, 120 km/h, 75 mph, in very strong winds, on the frozen Baltic Sea
Ten pictures and drawings, 3700 words. Equivalent to some 6 pages in a magazine
Excerpts
The sailors look like hockey players as they are well padded and wear helmets. This is good protection should you fall, but it doesn't help much if you loose control and collide with another wing or some of the rocky islands that surrounds the course.
The wind is howling at gale force outside the wing and the pitch is changing with the speed of the wind. You can hear yourself groan under the strain, says the current wing sail National Champion Bo Trysen.- Approaching the flag you enter a fast and accelerating ride on a tightrope. As you make the gradual turn downwind the wing can give you many times more power than you can handle.
If you open the throttle to much or if a nasty gust hits you will be blown to leeward and......... if you get it right you will get a massive acceleration raising your speed to over 120 km/h, 75 mph, in a few seconds.
Falling and crashing wings: The "nose dive" is least fun as it tends to break the wing.
Headings:
Falling and crashing wings
The Swedish skate sail racing course
How to sail
Skate sailing development history
Optimizing wing sails
Sailing skates photos- I guess you haven't seen anything like it.
How the wing develops a force, drawing
Typical wing construction
"You travel in a state between flying and falling, sailing on one skate, leaning into a wind which every little change is transmitted directly to your body. The only sound is the faint whistle of the wind outside your wing." That is light wind skate sailing according to one of the addicts.
Buying the article for publishing e.g. in a sailing club magazine, internet, print or....
Maybe you know many people who may be interested in this very special sport, for example members in your sailing club or in the company where you work or... Then this may be for you, or your sailing club. You distribute the material to these people, for example via club magazine, internet or print, or just sending an internet address (URL). Material is as in article - no higher resolution pictures included. When you buy the Skate Sailing article it is for you, your family and nearest friends only. Contact for price.
You will receive the material within some three days, via Internet pages
No Refunds
I hope that you will be satisfied with your purchase, but since it is non-tangible irrevocable goods, no returns are possible, and no refunds are available.
However, should you feel that any product is not as described please let me know and I will try to provide additional information.
Prices, specifications and conditions subject to change without notice.
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Copyright © 2009-2023 Anders Ansar. All rights reserved. You are welcome to use pictures and words, non commercially, as long as you include a link to my pages.
Modified Feb 2024