An autonomous sailing vessel may include a hull, a mast, a sail, and a sail release device. The mast may be mechanically coupled to the hull. The sail may be mechanically coupled to the mast. The sail release device may be operably coupled to the sail and may be configured to automatically release the sail to spill excess wind. Alternatively or additionally, the sail may include a fore sail element coupled to the mast and an aft sail element rotatably coupled at a fore of the aft sail element to an aft of the fore sail element. In this and other embodiments, the autonomous sailing vessel may further include a camber control assembly to automatically set a camber angle between the fore and aft sail elements.

A vessel is provided with a mast, sail, and halyard for hoisting the sail. The sail includes dollies configured to be movable along the mast. The mast includes a guide member, the guide dollies configured to cooperate with said guide member, wherein the sail includes rigid panels, articulated two by two; the mast is equipped with a transit part positioned at the end of the guide member, which has a flared lower portion and is open at its opposite ends, wherein during hoisting of the sail, each dolly is received in the transit part and is guided along to leave it through its upper opening and cooperate with the guide member, while during its lowering, each dolly is disengaged from the guide member, is received in the transit part, moves along it, and escapes from it by following the movement of the portion of the sail with which it is integral.

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 rig for a nautical craft includes a reference plane intended to coincide with a symmetry plane extending in longitudinal and vertical direction of the hull of the nautical craft; —at least one wing; —at least one rigid support capable of supporting the wing and transmitting a propulsive thrust to the hull of the nautical craft given by the aerodynamic lift generated by the wing when it takes wind. The wing includes 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 the main portion is facing the opposite side of the reference plane; the rigid support includes a wing sliding path for switching from the first to the second operating position and vice versa.

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.

An autonomous sailing vessel may include a hull, a mast, a sail, and a sail release device. The mast may be mechanically coupled to the hull. The sail may be mechanically coupled to the mast. The sail release device may be operably coupled to the sail and may be configured to automatically release the sail to spill excess wind. Alternatively or additionally, the sail may include a fore sail element coupled to the mast and an aft sail element rotatably coupled at a fore of the aft sail element to an aft of the fore sail element. In this and other embodiments, the autonomous sailing vessel may further include a camber control assembly to automatically set a camber angle between the fore and aft sail elements.

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.

In order to provide a rigid sail or aerofoil sail which has a lower overall weight, is cost-effective to manufacture and does not affect the passing under bridges, power lines or similar structures arranged over busy waters, in the case of a rigid sail for vessels, in particular, for large ships, such as bulk carriers, tankers, car transporters or bulkers, comprising a mast and a first aerofoil wing body mounted on the mast with a base and a head, wherein the mast is inserted through the base into the first aerofoil wing body and is arranged within the first aerofoil wing body, it is proposed that the mast, starting from the base, does not extend beyond a maximum height of the first aerofoil wing body, in particular, less than 75% of the maximum height.

An aerofoil sail (30) for providing motive power to a waterborne vessel, the sail comprising a leading aerofoil portion (35a) and a trailing aerofoil portion (35b), and the sail comprising a spar (32), at least one of the aerofoil portions rotatably positionable, and the sail comprising a controller to control individually the angular position of at least one of the aerofoil portions relative to the spar, and the spar rotationally positionable about its longitudinal axis.

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.