More records fall at former Loring Air Force Base

Episode 398

May 15, 2022

World record falls at Loring

When Bob Wanner called from Long Island, New York Friday, I was finishing preparing the Caribou High School baseball field for a game later that afternoon. Bob, one of the co-founders of the land speed races at Loring in 2009, said in his New York accent, “Tom what ya doing?”

I told him I was prepping a baseball field to which he replied, “You need to get over to Loring to see the Blokarts racing. And some guy is going to set a world record with one of those things.”

“What is a Blokart,” I asked?

“I’m not exactly sure, but one of my friends told me about this record attempt and you need to get out there and write about it.”

As soon as the baseball field was ready, I jumped in my pickup to investigate a potential story in my backyard. When I got to the runway, I saw some small tents and what looked like three wheeled go-karts with tall sails.

When I stopped at what appeared to be a headquarters tent, I engaged in conversation with Mike Dinning, Natick, Massachusetts and Steve Madden, Plymouth Massachusetts. Both were veteran racers of Blokart model land sailing racers. They were taking part in the Loring Landsailing IV Regatta.

Mike Dinning, Natick, Massachusetts with his Blokart landsailer. Mike is a retired DOT researcher who has raced for about 3 years. He, along with everyone else who I talked to was excited about racing at what he classified as the best land sailing facility east of Mojave area dry lakes. Dinning was fresh off a win at the North American Blokart Sailing Association (NABSA) at Ivanpah dry lake bed in Nevada. Ivanpah was named Windsailing Special Recreation Management Area by the Bureau of Land Management. (HTF Motorsports photo)

Steve Madden, Plymouth, Massachusetts with his Blokart landsailer. Madden who retired from the nuclear power industry, has also raced at all four regattas at Loring.   (HTF Motorsports photo)

Bob “BB” Hredocik, Harwich, Massachusetts at speed in his Blokart landsailing racer at Loring. Hredocik was on his way to setting a new record for greatest distance sailed on land in 24-hour period. The record was held by Australian Ross Vickers who sailed 283 miles at the Smiths Creek site in Nevada. (HTF Motorsports photo)

BB Hredocik taking a break with his Blokart landsailing machine after 24-hour record was set. Hredocik began his quest at 5:10 am Friday May 13, 2022 and finished at 5:10 am on Saturday morning. Winds did not die down until about 2 am Saturday. The new record is 366 miles, smashing the old record of 283 miles. (New England Land Sailors photo)

Screen shot of BB Hredocik GPS showing the details of the new world record set at the former Loring Air Force Base in Limestone, Maine. Note BB spent 18 hours and 46 minutes in the seat moving over the 24-hours. (New England Land Sailors photo)

Loring Landsailing IV Regatta

A group of seven Blokarts begin gathering to begin a race. Similar to hydroplane racing, they circle outside of the start line and are signaled when the race is starting by a horn. When 30 seconds remains to the start, they make their way close to start cones trying to time their arrival with the green flag. (HTF Motorsports photo)

Landsailer share much of the common terminology of those who ply the waters with competitive events or regattas. Throughout the day 20 or so racers gathered to race under almost ideal conditions. The 13 Blokart racers and 7 unlimited boat racers hoped to have as many as 20 races over the three days of competition.

Milo Fleming with his Blokart land yacht racer. Fleming, a student at John Bapst High School in Bangor, Maine, took some time off from school to race at Ivanpah in Nevada in March and at Loring. He walked away with a third in the Lights class in Nevada. (HTF Motorsports photo)

The 20 land sailors that competed in the Loring event included 16-year-old Milo Fleming from Blue Hill, Maine. Fleming was accompanied by his mother Nina Fleming who also serves as the race committee chairperson.

Milo got started in landsailing as a result of an eighth-grade school project. Fleming was a student at the Bay School in Blue Hill where the challenge project is part of the curriculum. Research by the then eighth-grader resulted in making several key contacts including Dave Lussier, Blokart racer and dealer in North Kingston, Rhode Island and Bill Buchholz, Camden, Maine.

Dave is also the current top speed holder (77.7 mph) along with Scott Young, Arizona, set at Ivanpah at the 2018 North American Blokart Championships.

Bill is seasoned veteran ice racer and landsailer in Maine and internationally. He is also the President of the Chickawaukie Ice Boat Club which hosted the regatta at Loring.

Purchasing a couple ice boats from Facebook Marketplace was the beginning of the hands-on phase of Flemings racing experience. He debuted at Walker Pond in Blue Hill in 2020. His second event was aboard the Lockley Skimmer 45 of Bill Buchholz at the Horseneck Beach parking lot race also in 2020.

The purchase of his own Blokart was a major step forward allowing him to race in one of the largest classes of landsailing. The “one-design” class limits the racers in what they can do to modify their machine making it less expensive yet still fast. Fleming liked the fact that his Blokart can be disassembled without major tools and can be checked baggage at the airport.

Fleming was a great spokesman for landsailing encouraging more young folks his age to get involved. The speed and camaraderie of the sport holds new adventures for those who make have only sailed on water, ice, or not at all. He threw a challenge to the students at the Maine School of Science and Math in Limestone to get a few of their own Blokarts and take advantage of their proximity to Loring.

While others at John Bapst may be pursing their passion in sports, drama, or other extra-curricular activities, he is a fountain of knowledge about racing with the power of the wind.

Details about landsailing and the New England Land Sailors can be found at the following sites. The New England Land Sailors site includes a detailed account of BB Hredocik’s progress throughout the 24 hours.  I have also included Chickawaukie Ice Boat and North American Ice Sailing sites.

The next Regatta will be Loring Landsailing V in September 2022.

https://www.facebook.com/NewEnglandLandSailors

https://iceboat.me/

https://www.blokart.com/about/about-us/

https://www.facebook.com/nalsa1970/

Let’s go racing (power of the wind is cheap)

Tom Hale

Soli Deo Gloria (Matthew 5:16)

 

 

 

 

Tom Hale

About Tom Hale

Tom wrote 14 years as freelancer for the Bangor Daily Sports covering motorsports in Maine. Now blogging and concentrating on human interest stories about people and places in racing. He races Champ Karts and owns HTF Motorsports in remote Westmanland, Maine