A physically-impaired-assisting multi-function sail comprises: a stanchion, a hoisting navigator for allowing an arthritic to deploy and retract the sail without the need to bend the fingers, a hoisting teeter totter secured to the navigator, a teeter-totter hook-lock secured to the teeter totter for automatically locking and unlocking the teeter totter to deploy and retract the sail, a cable secured to a camber, a cable canal formed into the teeter totter for hiding and protecting the cable within, a pivoting pulley housing secured to the teeter totter, a pivoting pulley hub swingingly attached to the pivoting pulley housing, sail-buttresses hingedly attached to the pivoting pulley hub, a sail canopy secured to the sail-buttresses, multiple cable pulleys rotatably secured at multiple locations within the pivoting pulley housing and pivoting pulley hub, a central tube attached to the pivoting pulley hub, sail-buttress-supporting arms hingedly attached to the sail-buttresses, and a shuttling hub attached to the sail-buttress-supporting arms.

Propulsion apparatus for an aquatic vessel comprises an aerodynamic body which extends along a longitudinal axis between first and second ends and in a transverse direction between a leading edge and trailing edge. The aerodynamic body has one or more external wind-receiving surfaces which extend between the leading edge and the trailing edge, thereby defining an aerodynamic profile of the aerodynamic body in cross-section substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The propulsion apparatus further comprises at least one air vent and at least one air flow generator configured to expel air through the at least one air vent. The at least one air vent and/or the at least one air flow generator are configured to direct expelled air across at least a portion of the one or more or more external wind-receiving surfaces.

The present invention relates to a rig (2) for a nautical means comprising: —a reference plane intended to coincide with a symmetry plane extending in longitudinal and vertical direction of the hull of the nautical means; —at least one wing; —at least one rigid support capable of supporting said wing and transmitting a propulsive thrust to the hull of the nautical means given by the aerodynamic lift generated by the wing when it takes wind; —the wing comprising a first and a second main face opposite to each other, —the rigid support being capable of supporting the wing at least in a first operating configuration in which at least a main portion of the first or second face is facing a first side of the reference plane and in a second operating configuration in which said main portion is facing the opposite side of the reference plane; —the rigid support comprising a wing sliding path for switching from the first to the second operating position and vice versa.

Techniques are provided for an unmanned surface vehicle including a vehicle body and a rigid square-rig wing coupled with the primary vehicle body. The rigid square-rig wing includes a first surface configured to interact with wind to generate a force that propels the primary vehicle body in a direction of travel that is primarily composed of drag, and a second surface configured to interact with the wind to generate a force that propels the primary vehicle body in a direction of travel that is primarily composed of lift. The unmanned surface vehicle further includes a rudder and a control system comprising a controller, the control system configured to determine a rudder position and generate a signal to position the rudder to the rudder position.

A kayak sail system includes a sail including a first extending arm, a second extending arm, and a sail sheet supported between the first extending arm and the second extending arm. A deployment body for the sail includes a base plate supporting a first deployment arm and a second deployment arm. The first deployment arm is coupled to the first extending arm of the sail. The second deployment arm is coupled to the second extending arm of the sail. A support arm is spaced apart from the base plate. A first support post and a second support post extend from the support arm. A first extension spring extends from the first deployment arm and a second extension spring extends from the second deployment arm. The first extension spring is removably coupled to the first support post. The second extension spring is removably coupled to the second support post.

A kayak sail system includes a sail including a first extending arm, a second extending arm, and a sail sheet supported between the first extending arm and the second extending arm. A deployment body for the sail includes a base plate supporting a first deployment arm and a second deployment arm. The first deployment arm is coupled to the first extending arm of the sail. The second deployment arm is coupled to the second extending arm of the sail. A support arm is spaced apart from the base plate. A first support post and a second support post extend from the support arm. A first extension spring extends from the first deployment arm and a second extension spring extends from the second deployment arm. The first extension spring is removably coupled to the first support post. The second extension spring is removably coupled to the second support post.

A woven sailcloth has groups of load-bearing yarns which extend in straight lines through tunnels without being woven. The tunnels are bordered front and back by woven layers and at the sides by crossing-over yarns. Because the load-bearing yarns extend along the tunnels there is no crimp in their longitudinal direction. The load-bearing yarns may include components for resistance to displacement along the tunnels, such as resin adhesives or wrapped-around filament.

A woven sailcloth has groups of load-bearing yarns which extend in straight lines through tunnels without being woven. The tunnels are bordered front and back by woven layers and at the sides by crossing-over yarns. Because the load-bearing yarns extend along the tunnels there is no crimp in their longitudinal direction. The load-bearing yarns may include components for resistance to displacement along the tunnels, such as resin adhesives or wrapped-around filament.

An autonomous sailing vessel may include a hull, a mast, a sail, and a rudder. The mast may be mechanically coupled to the hull. The sail may be mechanically coupled to the mast. The rudder may be mechanically coupled to the hull. A heading of the autonomous sailing vessel may be regulated by actively controlling the rudder without actively controlling the sail. Alternatively or additionally, the autonomous sailing vessel may include an anticapsize stabilizer tank, a lidar system, and/or marine mammal monitoring and identification.

A kayak sail system includes a sail including a first extending arm, a second extending arm, and a sail sheet supported between the first extending arm and the second extending arm. A deployment body for the sail includes a base plate supporting a first deployment arm and a second deployment arm. The first deployment arm is coupled to the first extending arm of the sail. The second deployment arm is coupled to the second extending arm of the sail. A support arm is spaced apart from the base plate. A first support post and a second support post extend from the support arm. A first extension spring extends from the first deployment arm and a second extension spring extends from the second deployment arm. The first extension spring is removably coupled to the first support post. The second extension spring is removably coupled to the second support post.