Wind-powered vehicle faster than the wind

It does take some thinking, doesn’t it, to grasp the idea of a wind-powered vehicle actually traveling faster than the wind itself? That’s what Rick Cavallaro and crew managed to achieve, making record runs during the July 4th weekend at El Mirage, California. The North American Land Sailing Association ratified the results and made it official on Tuesday, where the DWFTTW cart managed to travel directly downwind at 2.8 times the wind speed. This was achieved using an innovative ultra-lightweight, aerodynamically sound cart with a 17-foot propeller which is driven by the vehicle’s wheels. The wheels will turn the propeller which in turn will turn the wheels courtesy of a heavy-duty transmission. Where does the wind figure in all of this? It will function as an external power source in order to move the cart faster than the wind is blowing.