Over the years many different brake systems have been tried but most only seem to work as the last bit to stop.

The "Drag" brake as on the LLMini plans seems to work OK on beaches and salt lakes with a soild surface, but don't use them on mud lakes of thin crusted surfaces as they will damage the surface.

The "Tyre drag" type on the rear wheels are better on fragile surfaces and are often used in racing to stop a wheel to do super tight turns around markers, I've seen a front tyre drag type on a class5 but that didnt work that well due to light down force on that wheel.

I've used bicycle caliper brakes on a couple of yachts and yes they stop the front wheel turning but that also stops effective steering as well with the skidding tyre.

Blokarts use a Disc brake type which looks good but how they survive long term in salt and sand time will tell.

So to answer your question it depend on the surface and how effective you want it to be... but beginners like them and some clubs insist or recomend them.
The best thing I have found as a parking / rigging yacht brake is an old car tyre that one of the yachts tyres drops into.

ok cool. Considering I have not had time to get out yet, I can see myself ploughing into someone accidentally. The plan of course is to reduce the chances of this. It is a very quiet beach I will be testing on, but always have to be ready for any possibility.
Forgot that the sail is a large air brake [}:)]
I think I'll get the welder out and chuck that hand brake on still....

Brett

hikos got a point, the tyre brakes on a club 88 are really only seen on that lake.
normally I dont bother.

I have used a variety. The drag on the ground works fine on sand, don't use them on dry lakes as the custodians of the venues don't like them torn up (and fair enough too). I have put a bit of car tyre on the end for tarmac surfaces and airfields, this works well. You can spin a class 3 to a halt from flat out in a short distance when you have taken enough brave pills (inside 25 metres comfortably) but I would not suggest this till you have a bit of experience!
The major reason that any European based yacht has a brake is cos the rules require one. Doesn't give any means for testing effiency though! On a full body yacht I reckon they are essential, some of the venues have given an area designated for where you can go to slow down enough to park safely in "the good old days" and then it doesn't matter too much that you have a patch of "torn up".

Hey
This will give me something to do this morning with this rain hanging around. I'll put the LLM handbrake on, I'll be on fairly soft sand -> hardened wet sand so it should at least help with when i am trying to rig it up.
Brett