Automatic locking sail track car systems and apparatus

A sail track system, comprising:

• a track for attachment to a support structure;
• a locking sail track car that is slidable on the track, the car having a locking mechanism comprising a control member operable to switch the locking mechanism between an unlocked configuration in which the car is free to slide on the track and a locked configuration in which the locking mechanism engages with the track to block movement of the car in a loading direction;
• and
• an apparatus for actuating the locking mechanism;
• the apparatus comprising a latch formation disposed in a fixed position with respect to the track, a control surface spaced from the latch formation in a hoisting direction, opposite to the loading direction, and an actuator assembly for attachment to the car;
• the actuator assembly comprising an actuator for operating the control member of the car locking mechanism, and a latch element connected to the actuator and moveable between a first detent position in which the latch element is not engageable with the latch formation and a second detent position;
• wherein:
• the latch element is arranged to cooperate with the control surface upon movement of the actuator assembly in the hoisting direction to set the latch element into the second detent position;
• and
• the latch element is engageable with the latch formation upon subsequent movement of the actuator assembly in the loading direction with the latch element in the second detent position;
• whereby engagement of the latch element with the latch formation fixes the actuator in position with respect to the track for operating the control member of the car locking mechanism upon subsequent movement of the car in the loading direction, and urges the latch element out of the second detent position and towards the first detent position such that subsequent movement of the actuator assembly in the hoisting direction to disengage the latch element from the latch formation sets the latch element into the first detent position.