A new sport has arrived in the Whitsundays as a group of local enthusiasts hosted an open day on Sunday, inviting sailors and land lubbers alike to come and try their hand at racing a “blokart”.
A contingent of small, one-design carts scooting around the sands of Conway beach last weekend were the subject of raised eyebrows, as the Whitsunday Blokart Club held an open day.
So, what is Blokarting? The newest official Whitsunday sport is a form of cart racing where riders take a compact land yacht – or better explained, like a tiny boat with wheels – and race them on the beach.
These three-wheeled land yachts have a range of sails which are selected on the day to match the wind conditions and the weight and experience of the sailor.
It is a sport suitable for all ages – particularly for recreation - and twelve attendees were out in force for the club’s open day on Sunday. Plenty of whom were experienced sailors.
These high-performance machines are built to a strict one design format in production form, with additional items allowed on the performance models.
A short course was set up along the beach, ensuring that everyone kept a safe distance, and with the guidance of long term blokarter, David Moore, there were smiles all around.
Whitsunday Blokart Club is the latest club to register with the Australian Blokarting Association, joining other Queensland clubs at Mackay, Yeppoon, Bundaberg, and Brisbane. There are several local beaches suitable for blokarts, including Conway, Bowen, and Cape Hillsborough, providing locals plenty of opportunity to play on the sand.
“The weather on Sunday made Conway Beach a perfect setting for the club’s open day,” Darren Archibald, president of the Whitsunday Blokart Club, said.
The club plans to run another open day soon at a venue to be decided, but members can usually be found at Cape Hillsborough or Conway Beach most weekends when the tide is low.
A full program will be listed on the whitsundayblokarts.com.au website.
Contributed with thanks to Ross Chisholm
