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).

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 sail comprising a rotating flexible mast sleeve wrap surrounding the mast and attached to a sail track for controlling the movement of the sail. The sleeve assembly is slotted to allow for partial rotation of the sleeve wrap, the sail track and the sail, so that the sleeve wrap, the sail track and the sail rotate to form an aerodynamic shape on the lee side of the rotating flexible mast reducing aerodynamic losses.

A sailing boat includes at least one mast with at least one first and one second section projecting upwards with respect to the hull and arranged facing each other in the orthogonal direction to the advancement direction for supporting a mainsail in two mutually specular and alternative operating positions, where the sections are connected and spaced out from each other by at least one overturning section of the mainsail placed at the top of them to allow the passage from one specular position to the other. The three sections of mast define for that purpose a first sliding guide for the whole mainsail that extends substantially along the whole extension length of the mast and the mast includes a second sliding guide positioned substantially at the top thereof and placed aft with respect to the overturning section.

A mast fairing for a sailboat includes an upper fairing and an optional lower fairing configured to reduce turbulent airflow over the upwind and downwind sides of a sail. The upper fairing includes a fairing wrap includes a central segment configured to wrap around a mast, a left-side panel, a right-side panel, and a sail track attached to trailing edges of the left- and right-side panels. One or more fairing supports are optionally attached to the sail track between the left- and right-side panels of the fairing wrap. The optional lower fairing includes a central segment, a left-side panel, and a right-side panel configured for installation on a mast and boom below the upper fairing. The upper and lower fairings reduce turbulent airflow over the surfaces of a sail and increase regions of laminar airflow to improve the performance of the sail.

An inflatable mast couplable to an underwater vehicle includes a flexible material defining an interior volume, a head structure, and a spring coupled to at least one of the flexible material and the head structure. The flexible material is designed to be filled with air to form an inflated mast structure that extends away from the underwater vehicle. The head structure is disposed at a distal end of the inflated mast structure and in some cases has a rigid shape that forms a panel having an outer surface that is flush with an outer surface of the underwater vehicle, when the mast structure is deflated and stowed. The spring is designed to provide a tensile force on at least one of the flexible material and the head structure when the flexible material is inflated to form the mast structure. A system includes the inflatable mast and a pump.

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 yang 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 yang tube (7) is substantially arcuate and a convex side of the actuate yang tube (7) faces an intersection (9) of the boom (5) and the mast (3) and wherein the yang 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 sailing boat includes at least one mast with at least one first and one second section projecting upwards with respect to the hull and arranged facing each other in the orthogonal direction to the advancement direction for supporting a mainsail in two mutually specular and alternative operating positions, where the sections are connected and spaced out from each other by at least one overturning section of the mainsail placed at the top of them to allow the passage from one specular position to the other. The three sections of mast define for that purpose a first sliding guide for the whole mainsail that extends substantially along the whole extension length of the mast and the mast includes a second sliding guide positioned substantially at the top thereof and placed aft with respect to the overturning section.

An inflatable mast couplable to an underwater vehicle includes a flexible material defining an interior volume, a head structure, and a spring coupled to at least one of the flexible material and the head structure. The flexible material is designed to be filled with air to form an inflated mast structure that extends away from the underwater vehicle. The head structure is disposed at a distal end of the inflated mast structure and in some cases has a rigid shape that forms a panel having an outer surface that is flush with an outer surface of the underwater vehicle, when the mast structure is deflated and stowed. The spring is designed to provide a tensile force on at least one of the flexible material and the head structure when the flexible material is inflated to form the mast structure. A system includes the inflatable mast and a pump.