A mast system for use with a sailing vessel including a flexible mast connected to a first point of the sailing vessel; a tether connected to a second point of the sailing vessel, the tether being further connected to the flexible mast, wherein the lengths of the tether and the flexible mast are sized to pull the flexible mast into an arch.

The invention relates to a sailing rig system (SRS) for a sailing ship comprising one or more airfoil sails comprising one or more sail defining frames including at least three airfoil sail shape-defining edges and/or at least three airfoil sail shape-defining corners. The sail may be controllable, rotatable, pivotable, trimmable, reefable, stowable, slidable, windable, guidable, coaxial, weathervaning, wind/sun tracking, freestanding; it may provide cambering, reinforcing, sealing, boundary layer control, shielding means, sections and connections and it may be transparent. The frame may be a closable/deployable rotor sail frame. The frame may include rig components and the SRS may further comprise vertical/oblique/horizontal spars coupled with spar couplings. It may further comprise lateral, fore-and-aft, superposed sails, actuators, power generators, power sources, thermal management systems, defined rotor sails. It may provide sail twist. It may be coupled with a sailing ship with defined ship couplings. A sailing method is proposed.

Maritime drone (1) comprising a hull (2) provided with an upper face (3) and a lower face (4), a centerboard (5) extending projecting from the lower face (4) of the hull (2) in order to give sailing/navigation stability to the maritime drone (1) and at least one wing sail (6). The wing sail (6) comprises a mast (7) connected to the hull (2) and a wing profile (8) connected to the mast (7) and it is suitable to intercept the wind in order to move the maritime drone (1). The centerboard (5) internally defines a containment volume (9) for the wing sail (6), which is movable between an operative position, in which it extends at least partially above the upper face (3) of the hull (2), and an inoperative position, in which it is at least partially housed in the containment volume (9) of the centerboard (5).

A rollable mast system couplable to an undersea vehicle includes a mast made of a bi-stable composite material configured to roll onto itself in a first state and to stiffen into an elongated stable shape in a second state, and a head structure coupled to a distal end of the mast. The rollable mast system further includes a spool configured to support at least a portion of the bi-stable composite material in its first state and a roller in contact with the bi-stable composite material and configured to pay out the bi-stable composite material from the spool in a direction away from a hull of the undersea vehicle. The bi-stable composite material is in the first state as it passes from the spool to the roller, and the bi-stable composite material is in the second state after it passes the roller.

Mast systems are provided for use with an underwater vehicle. In one example the mast system includes a support base, a mast arm and a mast payload bay. The support base defines a base axis. The mast arm defines a longitudinal axis, and has a free longitudinal mast end and a mast mounting portion longitudinally spaced from the mast end. The mast payload bay is provided at the mast end, and is configured for supporting a payload. The mast arm is mounted to the support base via the mast mounting portion, and the mast arm is selectively deployable with respect to the support base at least between a retracted configuration, in which the mast end is at a first spacing with respect to the mast mounting portion, and an extended configuration, in which the mast end is at a second spacing with respect to the mast mounting portion, the second spacing being greater than the first spacing. The mast system is configured for operating in a marine environment.