Bonaire Pilots bring home a British title and a World Silver.
A four-pilot team from the Bonaire Blokart Racing Association (BBRA) has returned from Wales with a British Open title and a silver medal at the 2026 Blokart World Championships, where 120 competitors from 20 countries raced in eight divisions.
Both events were held on the airfield at Llanbedr, North Wales: the British Open on September 26th and 27th, followed by the World Championships from September 29th to October 2nd.
British Open: Andrew Sands is Champion
Andrew Sands won the Heavyweight Production fleet at the British Open, taking first place in six of his seven races! The final day was sailed in rain and gusts of up to 40 knots before racing was called off.
Tim Martinez finished fourth in the Lightweight Production fleet and won the last race of the event. Lennart Felida and Amedeo Vaccani raced in the 24-strong Medium Performance fleet, one of the largest and most competitive fleets of the week.
World Championships: a Silver for Bonaire
After the opening day was lost to too much wind, the World Championships packed 18 races into three days. Andrew Sands finished second in the world in Heavyweight Production, level on points with the new world champion, Levente Csaszar, and separated only on the tie-break. He won five races along the way.
At his first World Championships, Tim Martinez won the opening three races in Lightweight Production and finished fourth overall, just one point off the podium. Amedeo Vaccani finished fifth in Medium Production after a consistent series that included a second place, and Lennart Felida completed the full 18-race series in the 22-strong Medium Performance fleet.
From Bonaire to the world, and back again
“We are a small island, and these pilots learned to race on our own track at home, in our near-perfect wind,” said Donna Hudgeon of the Bonaire Blokart Racing Association. “To come home with a British title and a world silver, and to see Tim leading the Worlds after the first three races of his very first World Championships, shows what Bonaire’s wind and our people can do. I’m so proud of this team. Next April it’s our turn to host our first international event, and we can’t wait to welcome pilots from around the world for the Caribbean Open.”
BBRA hosts the Caribbean Open Blokart Championships on Bonaire from 23 to 25 April 2027. Pilots interested in taking part can register their interest at caribbeanopen.pages.dev.
Come and join the club
You don’t need to be a world-class pilot to race. The Bonaire Blokart Racing Association welcomes new members from age 12 and all experience levels. To find out more about joining the club, contact Andrew Sands at +599 700 8475 or visit www.bonaireblokart.racing.
About blokart racing
A blokart is a compact land yacht: a three-wheeled kart driven by a sail, which packs into a bag and reaches speeds of 100 km/h. Pilots race in Production and Performance classes, split into weight divisions, on courses marked out on beaches, airfields and dry lake beds around the world.
About the Bonaire Blokart Racing Association
The Bonaire Blokart Racing Association promotes blokart racing on Bonaire, runs local regattas and brings international events to the island, including the Caribbean Open Blokart Championships in April 2027.
The upcoming event further puts Bonaire on the international landsailing map, with Bonaire Landsailing Adventures helping showcase the island as a destination for this exciting sport. Give Landsailing in a Blokart a try while you are on Bonaire and feel the wind as you glide across the track.
