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Landsailing in Nevada
Marvelous machines —
Is it a boat? Is it a car? In fact, it's a little bit of both. Welcome to the Landsailing World Championships, held in July in the sweltering Nevada desert.
Courtesy Walter Carels
Globe trotters —
Over 170 "sailors" from 15 countries converged on the spectacular dried lake-bed of Smith Creek for this year's competition.
Bud Symes/Getty Images Sport/File
Flat out —
"It just amazes me how flat this place is," says racer Lester Robertson. "It just goes on seemingly forever. I really love the beauty and the solitude. And you get to go out on boats, wind-powered boats that just wail along."
Courtesy Walter Carels
Serenity now —
Situated around 30 miles from the tiny settlement of Austin, Smith Creek appears like a scorched land that time forgot.
Courtesy Walter Carels
World class —
Over the past 40 years, the event has evolved from an amateur pastime with pioneers trying out their models to a world sport with influences from gliding, motorsport, sailing and even the America's Cup.
Courtesy Walter Carels
Need for speed —
The surreal machines vary greatly depending on the class they're competing in. From basic buggies with sails...
Courtesy Walter Carels
High-tech design —
.... to impressive lightweight carbon fiber crafts.
Courtesy Walter Carels
People power —
Landsailing enthusiasts stay up late into the evening, tinkering with their speedy designs. "The amount of time you spend in what I call a 'dirt boat coma' with a glazed look in your eye, thinking about your next great innovation and hoping it works..." says racer John Eisenlohr.
Courtesy Walter Carels
Fleet street —
The most advanced craft can hit speeds of 100 miles per hour.
Courtesy Walter Carels
Record breaker —
In 2009, Briton Richard Jenkins broke the speed record, hitting 126 mph in his Greenbird machine (pictured), not far from Smith Creek. He spent a decade working on the design, saying: "I can't believe in hindsight that I actually spent so much time trying to do it. I guess I was kind of focused on the result, and didn't really think about the time or the place."
Dan Kitwood/Getty Images/File
Beach comber —
Landsailing isn't just restricted to deserts. Here, enthusiasts test out their designs on a European beach in the 1970s.
Garry Hogg/Getty Images/File
Child's play —
Here British youngsters in the 1950s go for a spin in their makeshift vehicle -- an old pram with a raincoat for a sail.
Fox photos/Getty Images/File
Mood lighting —
"Smith Creek is a starkly beautiful place," says Russ Foster. "The cloud formations and the beautiful sky are almost something out of a painting. At other times it can be terribly dusty and miserable."