A wind paddle sail assembly includes a sail having stiffened upper and lower ends and a paddle or pole having an upper fixed end and a lower portion with a lower free end. A fastener fastens the upper fixed end of the paddle or pole to the upper end of the sail. A downhaul strap fastens the lower end of the sail to the lower portion of the paddle or pole for adjusting tension in the sail. A method for operating a wind paddle sail assembly is also provided.

A wind generator for sailboats including a mast (A) provided with crosstrees (C), including: at least one wind generator (1) provided with a distribution of blades (2) arranged to rotate integrally with a shaft (6) of axis (a) in response to receiving a wind flow in an active direction (v) incident to the blades distribution; an electric generator (3) operatively connected to the generator (1) for converting the rotation of the blades (2) into electricity, comprising structure (22, 41) for fixing the generator (1) to a crosstree (C), and with the blades (2) being movable from an open operating position (P1) of maximum incidence of wind flow (F) to a closed non-operating position (P2) of minimum obstruction.

A wind-propelled vessel is described herein. The vessel includes at least one hull and at least one set of paired masts. Each paired mast of the at least one set of paired masts has a first mast located to one side of the vessel and a second mast located on the opposite side of the vessel. Also, each mast of the at least one set of paired masts has a spar located at or near the top of the mast. Moreover, each one of the spar located at or near the top of the mast extends inwards towards a center plane of the vessel, and an inward end of the spar is connected by a connector to another inward end of another one of the each one of the spar located at or near the top of the mast. In accordance with the illustrative examples provided herein, the connector imparts a dynamic force upon connected spars that responsively pulls the connected ones of the inward ends of the spars to their nearest position when tops of the masts to which the spars are fixably attached move away from a relative nearest position to a paired one of one set of paired masts.

A traction system, notably for a ship, includes a fixed station, at least one first sail and one second sail, the first sail comprising a wing and being connected to a winch of the fixed station by a first hauling cable, the second sail includes a second wing and being connected to a winch of the fixed station by a second hauling cable. The fixed station includes a mast which is equipped with a first conveyor dedicated to mooring the first wing to this mast and with a second conveyor dedicated to mooring the second wing to this mast.

A standing rigging element, in particular a mast of a vessel, that has a closed profile, and a method of manufacturing the standing rigging element. The halves of the closed profile are made of layers of structural textile saturated with an epoxy resin and have a shape corresponding to the shape of the standing rigging element, after gluing. The mast includes a layer of photovoltaic modules as one of the laminate layers, with a flat set of flexible photovoltaic cells on the outer surface. Cables collecting electricity from photovoltaic modules are routed from each photovoltaic module to common collecting cables, connected to the electric power supply installation of the vessel. The photovoltaic module includes layers of structural textile, wherein one of the layers is a layer of flexible photovoltaic cells.

A rigging system (1) for a sailboat comprising: a mast (3) that extends substantially vertical from a hull; a boom (5) that extends substantially horizontal from the mast (3); a vang tube (7) extending between the mast and the boom to resist relative force and/or moment of the boom (5) towards the mast (3), wherein the vang tube (7) is substantially arcuate and a convex side of the actuate vang tube (7) faces an intersection (9) of the boom (5) and the mast (3) and wherein the vang tube (7) is located above the boom (5). A connection (301) for transferring a first force from a spar (307) to a mast (3) of a sailboat, the connection comprising: a connection base (303) having a key portion (305) to be received in a keyway (306), wherein the keyway (306) is part of a sail track (107) of the mast (3); a mount (309) to receive the spar (307), wherein the first force (35) from the spar (307) is transmitted through the mount (309) to the connection base (303); and a restraint (311) to resist a first component force (37) acting on the connection base (303), wherein the first component force (37) is a component of the first force (35) transmitted from the spar (307) that is in a direction parallel to the keyway (306).

A nestable wing sail having two or more sections. Where one section is configured to nest inside the first section, and can move out of the first section to extend the effective sail area of the wing sail.

One embodiment of a deployable reversible camber sail system, based on a deployable shell (58) contained within a mast-sail assembly (11, 12) and supported and controlled by additional assemblies (13-15), is disclosed. The embodiment may be easily and quickly configured into the furled, feathered, port tack and starboard tack sail forms. In addition, this embodiment represents a highly efficient sail module which may be controlled by a single human operator or automated computer-based control system. Additional embodiments, utilizing assemblages of the first embodiment sail system module, are described.

A multihull sailing vessel includes at least two buoyant hulls extending along their longitudinal axes, with the hulls being connected to each other and a first hydrofoil connected to the hulls and oriented transverse to the hulls. The first hydrofoil is movably coupled to the hulls between a first position above a resting waterline of the hulls and a second position below a lowest extent of the hulls. When the first hydrofoil is in the second position, a configuration of the first hydrofoil is adjustable to vary an amount of lifting force generated by the first hydrofoil when the hulls move forward through water when the first hydrofoil is in the second position.

The patent discloses a multihull watercraft with a unique hull configuration providing numerous benefits. Passenger cabins are enclosed within a separate upper hull, which allows the accommodation space and the float hulls to be independently optimized. The new configuration also provides reduced windage, and creates additional deck space for easier boarding, recreational use, and safer access to shore craft.