STABILISED ROTARY SAIL RIGGING

Abstract

Stabilized rotating sailing rig for boats formed by a mast, a boom perpendicular to the mast, and one or more sails bent to the common boom and to the mast; rig capable of freely rotating with all its elements, around a vertical axis, with the important and novel characteristic that the top of the mast is stabilized by shrouds and/or stays which tie it to the periphery of the deck or decks of the boat without jeopardizing the rotation of the rig around its vertical axis. This top of the mast stabilization also permits the use of prow fixed sails.

Claims

1. A stabilized rotating sailing rig, especially devised for the propulsion of sailing boats comprising: a vertical mast having a first side and a second, a boom which extends horizontally at both sides of the mast, and at least one sail bent to the mast and to the common boom, rig which rotates with all its elements around a vertical axis, wherein the rig includes sails having a triangular shape, the sails are selected from Marconi or Bermuda type sails, the rig is being supported by a plurality of shrouds and/or stays which stabilize an upper part of the mast by tying the mast to a periphery of a deck or decks of the sailing boat, in such a way that they are outside of a volume of the rig as rotates, thus allowing for even more than 360 rotation of the rig, the shrouds and/or stays are diagonally attached to an exterior part of the deck in order to maximize the size of the common boom.

2. The stabilized rotating sailing rig, according to claim 1, wherein the fixed elements of vessel, (hull or hulls, shrouds and/or stays), and the rotating elements, (common boom, mast, and sails) are connected by a first bearing connecting the top of the mast to the shrouds and/or stays, and a second bearing connecting a lower part of the mast to the hull or hulls of the vessel.

3. The stabilized rotating sailing rig according to claim 1, further including a mast fixed not only to the hull or hulls but also to the shrouds and/or stays, plus an external rotating mast of tubular shape, coaxial with it, rigid or textile, formed by one or more pieces, which rotates with the common boom and with the sails bent to both of them, including bearings between fixed and rotating elements.

4. The stabilized rotating sailing rig according to claim 1, wherein a control of the rotation of the rotating elements of the rig is done from the deck or decks of the boat by a base platform or by a circular rail, backed up by an emergency sheet.

5. The stabilized rotating sailing rig according to claim 1, further including additional rotating shrouds, stays, inner stays, which rotate with the rotating mast, the common boom, the rotating sails, and the rotating platform or rail; as additional stability or rigidity devices.

6. The stabilized rotating sailing rig according to claim 1, wherein a vessel can have one or more rotating rigs, with fixed head sails or even with another type of rig.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] In order to better explain the invention, and to facilitate its understanding, and in accordance with a preferred example of its practical realization, we hereby enclose the following set of drawings, where with illustrative and no limitative character, the following is represented:

[0038] FIG. 1. Shows a perspective view of a generic cruising catamaran equipped with the rotating rig of our invention, with four shrouds and/or stays and one fixed head sail;

[0039] FIG. 2.a shows a lateral view of a 12 meter LOA, cruising catamaran showing how a man can cross from one side to the other of the rotating rig through the gap between the jib's clew and the mast, if we have a very low rotating common boom and a base platform;

[0040] FIG. 2.b shows a top view of the catamaran of FIG. 2.a;

[0041] FIG. 2.c shows back view of the catamaran of FIG. 2.a;

[0042] FIG. 3. Shows a view from above of a 14 meter LOA non foldable cruising trimaran;

[0043] FIG. 4.a shows a 12 meter LOA foldable trimaran, showing the interior distribution of the said trimaran and its necessary coincidence of the mast position and the connection of the arms to the main hull, and a man crossing from one side of the rig through a mast tunnel;

[0044] FIG. 4.b shows a top view of boat of FIG. 4.a showing its floats deployed;

[0045] FIG. 4.c shows the interior of the boat marking the position of the rotating mast and the position of the arms; and

[0046] FIG. 5. Shows a side elevation of a 45 meter schooner with three rotating rigs and two head sails.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0047] In order to facilitate its understanding, we will use the following numerical references: [0048] 1. Hull [0049] 2. Mast [0050] 3. Common boom [0051] 4. Base platform or circular rail [0052] 5. Mast top bearing [0053] 6. Base bearing [0054] 7. Shrouds and/or stays [0055] 8. Head stay [0056] 9. Cabin [0057] 10. Rotating main [0058] 11. Rotating jib [0059] 12. Bow sprit [0060] 13. Fixed head sail [0061] 14. Vertical axis of rotation [0062] 15. Emergency sheet [0063] 16. Connections boom/platform [0064] 17. Tunnel [0065] 18. Hinges [0066] 19. Booms sweeping circle [0067] 20. Arms

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0068] As we have said before, this invention is about a rig for sailing boats. It comprises one or more sails bent to a mast and to a common boom, which, in order to adapt the different wind directions, rotates around a vertical axis (14). The main feature of this invention lies in the fact that the top of the mast (2) is stabilized by several shrouds and/or stays (7) which tie the said top of the mast to the deck or the decks of the boat, being these shrouds and/or stays exterior to the rotating rig, so that the rotating rig can freely rotate even more than 360 if so desired. It also permits that fixed head sails can be bent.

[0069] Because of this, the volumes generated by the rig while rotating is devoid of shrouds and/or stays, which could limit or put a stop to each rotation, as happens with traditional sailing boats.

[0070] In a more concrete form, as it can be seen in FIG. 1, it is shown in perspective a view of a generic cruising trimaran with the rotating rig of this invention comprising a mast (2), a common boom (3), a main sail (10), and a rotating jib (11), stabilized by four shrouds and/or stays (7); this rig is capable of freely rotating for more than 360 around a vertical axes (14) coaxial with mast, is controlled by a rotating platform (4) and guided by a bearing at the top of the mast (5) and the bearing at its base.

[0071] In this FIG. 1, we can also see: a bow sprit (12) and a fixed head sail (13), bent to the head stay (8) and to the hull (1) of the boat.

Examples of the Use of the Invention on Diverse Types of Boats

[0072] This type of rig can be used advantageously on practically any type of sailing vessel, although its size can be limited, as it has to move within the volume contained within shrouds and/or stays. We show below several examples of how this rig can be used by different types of boats, looking especially at the maximum sailing area which can be obtained with our rotating rig and the one which could be obtained with a traditional rig.

[0073] To calculate the approximate sailing areas we employ the following symbology:

m: mast height luff
b: common boom
p: foot

[0074] The approximate sail area would be:

rotating s. a=(mb)/2
fixed s. a.=(mp)/2

Example-A

[0075] A 12 meter LOA cruising catamaran. (FIGS. 2.a, 2.b, and 2.c)

[0076] It has four shrouds and/or stays (7) for the stabilization of the mast. The rotating rig is placed on top of the cabin (9), it has a base platform (4) for its rotation control, and allows the crossing from one to the other on the rig through the slot between the mast and the rotating jib. The rotation of the rig can be more than 360. There is also a 5.5 m2 fixed head sail (13), bent to the bow sprit (12) and to the hull (1).

[0077] It has a 18 meter mast with a 18 meter luff, a 9 meter common boom (3), and a 5.5 m2 fixed head sail. Approximate its maximum sail area would be:

Rotational: (189)/2=81 m2

Fixed: (185.5)/2=49.5 m2

Total: 130.5 m2

[0078] A similar catamaran such as the Nautitech Open 40 has:

Main: 64 m2

[0079] Head sail: 28 m2

Total: 92 m2

Example-B

[0080] A non-foldable 14 meter LOA cruising trimaran. (FIG. 3).

[0081] It has a 360 rotating rig on top of the cabin (9), stabilized by four shrouds and/or stays (7), a common boom (3), controlled by a 5-meter diameter rotating base platform (4). It also has a fixed head sail (13) bent to a bow sprit (12).

[0082] It has a mast with a 19 meter luff, a 9 meter common boom, and a fixed head sail with a 7 meter luff. Approximate its maximum sail area would be:

Rotating: (199)/2=85.5 m2

Fixed: (197)/2=66.5 m2

Total: 152 m2

[0083] A similar trimaran, the Neel 45, has:

Main: 60 m2

[0084] Head sail: 46 m2

Total: 106 m2

Example-C

[0085] A foldable 12 meter LOA cruising trimaran. (FIGS. 4.a, 4.b, 4.c). It has a rotating rig controlled by a rotating base platform (4), backed by an emergency sheet (15). FIG. 4.a is a side elevation of the boat, FIG. 4.b is a view from above of the boat with its floats deployed, and FIG. 4.c shows the interior of the boat marking the position of the rotating mast and the position of the arms. The mast is stabilized by six shrouds and/or stays (7), four are fixed and two of them are only used when the floats are deployed.

[0086] The mast's luff measures 16 meter, the common boom 7.5 meter, and the fixed head sail luff 5 meter. Approximate its maximum sail area would be:

Rotating: (167.5)/2=60 m2

Fixed: (165)/2=40 m2

Total: 100 m2

[0087] A similar trimaran, for example, the Dragonfly 1200, has

Main: 60 m2

[0088] Head sail: 35 m2

Total: 95 m2

Example-D

[0089] A 45 meter LOA schooner. (FIG. 5). It has tree rotating rigs, each one is stabilized by four shrouds and/or stays (7), and has a base platform (4), and a mast (2) with a 27 meter luff, a 10 meter of longitudinal separation between shrouds and/or stays, and three 12 meter common booms. There are also several fixed head sails with a total foot of 12 meters. Approximate its maximum sail area would be:

Rotating: 3(1227)/2=486 m2

Fixed: (1227)/2=162 m2

Total: 648 m2

[0090] A similar boat, the schooner Malcolm Miller, (or its twin ship Sir Winston Churchill), with 45.16 meters LOA, 8.31 meters beam, would have a total sailing area of 661 m2.

Practical Considerations

[0091] Some practical considerations should be added:

[0092] The existence of a common boom makes it difficult to cross from one side to the other of the rotating rig, especially if we want the rotating sails near the deck and especially when the common boom lies perpendicular to the boat's plane of symmetry. To solve this problem the following solutions can be employed: the common boom can be elevated, a pass through the slot between the jib and the mast can be used (as in FIG. 2.a), or tunnel through the mast can be made, (as shown in FIG. 4.a).

[0093] The rotating rig halyards should be handled from the rotating rig. The fixed sails halyards should be handled through the fixed mast, or from the deck along with the stays of roller reefing head sails.

[0094] If we want the rotating rig to weather cock like a wind vane, the jib's area should be slightly smaller than the main's area.

[0095] The rotating rigs add a new complication to the equilibrium of forces in sailing boats as reefing takes place, because now not only an equilibrium must be kept between the centre of effort of the sails and the centre of lateral resistance of the hull, as in the traditional rigs, but also an equilibrium must be kept between the areas in front and behind the rotating vertical axis. One way of achieving this equilibrium could be by moving horizontally the foot of the sails. This would be of special importance if only one rotating sail is used.

[0096] A wing mast capable of self-orientation when the boat is not sailing, while the rest of the rig does not move, could be of interest.

[0097] A rotating base platform or a circular rail could be employed to properly control a more than 360 rotation, as a supplement or substitution of the main sail sheet. The use of pairs of motorized rollers, peripherally placed, could be of interest.

[0098] If the mast is supported, for example by four oblique shrouds and/or stays, the bow sprit could be telescopic or even move laterally.

[0099] To reinforce the rotating rigs, lateral and/or lineal reinforcements could be placed between the base platform, the common boom, and the mast. Also, rotating shrouds could be used.

[0100] And finally we want to comment that the self-supported rigs, and by that we mean those where the mast has a deck bearing and a keel bearing, can still be of interest as they permit lighter masts and a greater longitudinal separation of the shrouds and/or stays, or even let them temporarily loose as if they were running backstays.