LIMESTONE, Maine – Aroostook’s former Air Force base is quickly becoming the hotspot for New England land sailing, and the action will return this week.
With its two expansive 12,000-foot runways, Loring Commerce Center, formerly Loring Air Force Base, is the most northern venue in the U.S. for land sailing, which involves riders competing in small, three-wheeled carts with large sails, relying only on wind for propulsion.
In May, the Maine-based Chickawaukie Ice Boat Club organized its annual land sailing regatta at Loring, which they have held since 2020. That event included both ice boats, also built for riding frozen winter lakes; and Blokarts, a land sailing vehicle named after its New Zealand manufacturer.
Now the Blokart racers are coming back but this time they are launching a new tradition.
From Oct. 10-12, 32 racers from New England and other states will take over Loring’s runways for the Blokart East Coast Championships.
Unlike ice boats, which require replacing skates with wheels in order to land sail, Blokarts automatically come with wheels, making them even more ideal for hot topped areas like runways, said Dave Lussier, founder of the New England Land Sailors, who lives in Rhode Island.
Blokarts are also more portable than ice boats, Lussier noted. Ice boats are at least 12 feet long and wooden, and cannot be carried onto an airplane. Blokarts are 5 ½ feet long and can be folded up into a small carry-on bag while flying.
Lussier and his fellow Blokart enthusiasts have always been part of the Chickawaukie club’s land sailing regattas at Loring every May and September, but have become so commonplace that they decided to host their own championships there.
Racers will be divided into “silver,” those who are beginner sailors, and “gold” racers who are more experienced. Since there are 21 gold racers and only 12 silvers, the golds will be divided into two classes: “lightweight” and “heavyweight,” based on their Blokart’s weight to ensure equal competition.
First-place winners get the lowest amount of points at the end of each lap, so whoever has the lowest total scores will be crowned first, second and third place winners for the championship, Lussier said.
The racers’ speeds often vary depending on the wind direction and speed, but in May land sailors reached at least 50 miles per hour.
Lussier started land sailing in 2017 and in April 2024 he claimed the world speed record of 77.7 miles per hour during the world championships in California’s Mojave Desert.
Though he has raced in Europe and the Caribbean, Lussier said that Loring’s runways offer unparalleled opportunities for speed and thrills.
“In Europe, the best land sailing track is at an airport runway in Wales, but that runway is one third the size of Loring’s. It’s 300 feet wide but Loring’s runways are two and a half miles long,” Lussier said. “You can go as fast as you dare.”
To help more people experience those thrills, Limestone Chamber of Commerce is partnering with New England Land Sailors for their Octoberfest.
On Saturday, Oct. 12, the final day of Blokart championships, the Chamber will be hosting activities from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in a fenced-in area next to a section of the runway races on Energy Road.
After a noon opening ceremony, select racers will offer free Blokart rides and tours of the racers’ pit area. Lussier and a Chamber volunteer will provide play-by-play commentary during races.
Throughout the afternoon, the Chamber and Limestone Recreation Department will be hosting pickleball lessons, a corn hole tournament, chili cook-off, bounce houses and face painting.
“We want to help people see what’s going on [at the races] and give these events a chance to grow into their own,” said Jo-Ellen Kelley, vice president of Limestone Chamber of Commerce. “Most people here have never heard of land sailing, so it’s the perfect opportunity.”
