Veteran Set to Sail and Cycle Across Country

Sun May 30 2010
Posted May 31, 2010
10,638

[BIKEIOWA Note: If you've ever been on RAGBRAI you've undoubtedly seen a recumbent trike with a sail. Here is more info about it!] John MacTaggart to complete trip on innovative vehicle that combines sailing, cycling, solar and electrical regenerative technologies into one. The trip begins July 1st in San Diego, CA, and ends in St. Augustine, FL. Timeframe to depend on wind conditions. Pterosail Trike Systems, L.C. is excited to announce they will be doing something that’s never been done before: sailing and cycling across the country. The pronunciation is the same as "terra-sail", sailing over land. The event will be called Rediscovering America, A Cross-Country Sailing Adventure. The trip is just over three thousand miles beginning in San Diego, CA and ending in St. Augustine, FL. The adventure begins July 1st. Depending on wind conditions, the crossing is expected to last between six and eight weeks. Chief Operating Officer, Rigoberto MacTaggart, “We believe that this trip will be a great demonstration of our hybrid sailing and cycling technology. We’ll have plenty of pictures, videos and coverage of the trip on our website. Its going to be an adventure of a lifetime and we can’t wait to share it with the world!” The Pterosail is a technological dream come true. The Pterosail is a jib-based recumbent trike equipped with a patented sailing system. The sail is placed forward of the rider and low to the ground. The result is a safe, stable and easily-learned sailing experience. The system combines the comfort of recumbent trikes with the pleasure of sailing. Never before has cycling, wind power, solar panels and regenerative technologies been combined into one! The street-legal Pterosail is the world’s most advanced cycling product on the road today. Pterosail Trike Systems believe that with the price of gasoline increasing almost daily and the public’s growing appreciation for zero-emission vehicles, the timing of the journey couldn’t be better. Who’s Riding John MacTaggart is an experienced cyclist with multiple trips across Iowa on the Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI). John has sailed the Pterosail in Texas, Illinois, Maryland, Colorado, Arizona and California. John is also a Lieutenant in the US Navy Reserves and an engineering graduate from the United States Merchant Marine Academy. He recently returned from serving as the Base Engineer on a small forward operating base near Kandahar, Afghanistan where he mentored and assisted with reconstruction efforts. John MacTaggart says, “ I found working with the Afghanistan people to be a very rewarding and humbling experience. The country’s landscape is breathtaking. It is my hope to one day return and set sail across Afghanistan.” John believes that the Rediscovering America, A Cross-Country Sailing Adventure trip will go through terrain similar to Afghanistan. However, thanks to the overhead solar panel John plans on staying cool throughout the sun-drenched trip. About Pterosail Trike Systems, L.C. Pterosail Trike Systems is a small family-owned startup that uses a multi-patented technology to create street-legal recumbent trikes with sails, called Pterosails. The company’s mission is to give everyone the opportunity to experience the pleasure of using the wind to rediscover the Great Outdoors. Pterosail Trike Systems, L.C. is headquartered in North Liberty, Iowa. The Pterosail has been featured on radio, newspapers and television stations. Pterosail Trike Systems will be competing in the Pepsi Refresh Project that aims to promote positive ideas that help the environment. Seven-time winner of the Tour De Force, Lance Armstrong, described the Pterosail as the most unique participant during a past RAGBRAI trek across Iowa. The company owns several U.S. patents including pending international patents.