Sail system for sailboards
OwnerRobert S. Jamiesoninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In accordance with one aspect of the disclosure, the sail portion of a sailboard has upper and lower sections, and the lower edge (foot) of the upper section is lapped relative to the upper edge (head) of the lower section. Apparatus is provided to cause the lower edge to be on the upwind side of the upper edge, regardless of the tack that the boat is on. Such apparatus comprises a rotating boom which rotates through the sail, in such manner as to shift from one side of the sail to the other and also cause the above-described lapped relationship to occur in either tack. The diclosure further relates to a combination of the sail system with the board, to the method of achieving the indicated lapped relationship and of rotating the boom, and to other important features.
Claims53
A sail system for a sailboard of the type in which an operator rides the board in standing position, and manipulates a sail system in order to effect propulsion of the board, said sail system comprising:
- (a) a mast adapted at its lower end to be mounted on a sailboard,
- (b) a boom connected at one end to said mast at a region intermediate the upper and lower ends thereof,
- said boom extending away from said mast transversely thereof,
- (c) upper and lower sails each having its luff connected to said mast and its leech connected to said boom at the end of said boom remote from said mast,
- said upper sail being generally above said boom, said lower sail being generally below said boom,
- said sails and boom being such that said boom may be grasped by the operator regardless of which side of said sails said operator is standing on, and
- (d) means to effect a lapped, sealing relationship between the lower edge of said upper sail and the upper edge of said lower sail,
- said sealing relationship being such that said lower edge of said upper sail is, regardless of the tack said sailboard is on, on the upwind side of said upper edge of said lower sail,
- said sail system being such that said sails operate like a single sail which is aerodynamically unconstrained by any boom and therefore assumes a single efficient sailing shape characterized by the absence of a crease,
- said sail system being further characterized by the absence of substantial leakage of air between said sails, which leakage would reduce the efficiency of the sail system.
A single-boom sail system for sailboats of the type in which an operator stands on the board and manually manipulates the sail system to effect wind propulstion of the board, said single-boom sail system having two separate sails which are caused to operate as a single sail unconstrained or creased by any boom element, the simulated single sail thus assuming a highly efficient aerodynamic shape, said sail system comprising:
- (a) a mast the lower end of which is adapted to be pivotally mounted on a board,
- (b) a boom one end of which is connected to an intermediate portion of said mast,
- said boom extending away from said mast transversely thereof,
- (c) an upper sail the luff of which is connected to said mast above said boom, and the leech of which is connected to the outer end of said boom,
- said upper sail having a lower edge the elevation of which is generally the same as that of said boom, and
- (d) a lower sail the luff of which is connected to said mast below said boom, and the leech of which is connected to the outer end of said boom,
- said lower sail having an upper edge the elevation of which is generally the same as that of said boom,
- said lower edge and said upper edge being, at regions intermediate the luffs and leeches of said sails, on the downward side of said boom on either tack and spaced away from said boom on either tack, whereby the operator may readily grasp said boom, on either tack, while standing on the upwind side of said boom,
- (e) characterized in that means are provided to effect an air seal between said lower edges, on either tack, so as to prevent substantial air leakage therebetween.
A sail system for sailboats, characterized by the presence of a single boom which is rotated through the sail means, during coming about, so that the boom is on the upwind side of the sail means on either tack and is readily grasped by an operator standing on the board upwind of both the boom and the sail means, and so that the sail means never engages any boom element, except during coming about, and therefore can assme an efficient, uncreased, aerodynamic shape, said said system comprising:
- (a) a mast,
- (b) a single boom,
- (c) sail means extending above and below said boom,
- the luff of said sail means being connected to said mast, and the leech of said sail means being connected to said boom at the boom end remote from said mast,
- (d) means to rotatably connect one end of said boom to said mast at an intermediate portion thereof, and to rotatably connect the other end of said boom to said sail means at a region remote from said mast, whereby said boom may be rotated about an axis which is generally parallel to a line extending through the ends of said boom,
- said boom and said sail means being so constructed that regions of said boom intermediate said boom ends may pass through said sail means when said boom is rotated about said axis while the sailboard is coming about, and
- (e) means for preventing substantial leakage of air through said sail means.
A method of sailing a sailboard, which comprises:
- (a) providing a sailboard having its mast pivotally connected to the board for pivotal movement in substantially any direction, and having a curved boom one end of which is rotatably connected to said mast for rotation of the boom about an axis extending generally through the ends of said boom, and having upper and lower sail portions the luffs of which are connected to said mast respectively above and below said boom, and the leeches of which are connected to said boom at a point remote from said mast, said sail portions being so shaped that the adjacent edges of said upper and lower sail portions overlap each other,
- (b) sailing said sailboard on a port tack, with the upper edge of said lower sail portion on the starboard side of the lower edge of said upper sail portion, with said boom on the port side of both of said edges, with the operator on the port side of said boom, and with said mast inclined toward the operator whereby wind moves down said upper sail portion and then onto said lower sail portion without leaking between said sail portions,
- (c) commencing a coming-about operation by manipulating said boom to cause said board to turn to port, into the wind,
- (d) rotating said boom upwardly and at least 180.degree. degrees about said axis, and substantially simultaneously walking around said mast forwardly of said boom,
- said boom rotation causing said boom to rotate between said upper and lower sail portions, while said boom simultaneously pushes on said lower edge of said upper sail portion, and while said upper edge of said lower sail portion blows below said lower edge,
- (e) grasping said boom after said walking around said mast and then beginning to sail said board on a starboard tack, the operator then standing on the starboard side of said boom, and said upper edge being on the port side of said lower edge.
A method of sailing a sailboard, which comprises:
- (a) providing a sailboard having upper and lower sail portions, the lower edge of said upper sail portion and the upper edge of said lower portion being lapped, and having a boom adapted to be grasped by the operator regardless of which tack the sailboard is on,
- (b) sailing said sailboard on a port tack with said sail edges in such relationship to each other that said lower edge is on the port side of said upper edge whereby wind moving down said upper sail portion flows onto said lower sail portion without passing in substantial amount between said lapped edges,
- (c) turning said sailboard to port, into the wind,
- (d) walking around the mast of said sailboard and also grasping said boom from the side of the board opposite the one said boom was originally grasped from, and
- (e) reversing the lapped relationship of said edges whereby the lower edge of said upper sail portion is on the starbard side of said upper edge of said lower sail portion, and
- (f) sailing said boat on the starbord tack whereby wind moving down said upper sail portion flows onto said lower sail portion without passing in substantial amount between said lapped edges.
A sail system for a sailboard of the type in which an operator sails in standing position, and manipulates a sail system in order to effect propulsion of the sailboard by the wind, said sail system comprising:
- (a) a mast adapted to be associated with a board in such relationship that the mast may pivot downwardly into the water when the sail is dropped by the operator,
- (b) a boom extending outwardly from said mast,
- (c) an upper sail disposed generally above said boom, the luff of said upper sail being associated with said mast and the leech of said upper sail being connected to the end portion of said boom,
- (d) a lower sail disposed generally beneath said boom, the luff of said lower sail being associated with said mast and the leech of said lower sail being connected to said end portion of said boom, and
- (e) means to loose-connect an edge portion of at least one of said upper and lower sails, at an edge thereof relatively adjacent said boom, to said boom in such manner that when the boom is manipulated to change from one tack to the other a predetermined desired orientation will be achieved between the edges of said sails which are relatively adjacent said boom, said edges at regions intermediate the luffs and leeches at said sails being spaced from said boom on either tack, said predetermined desired orientation being such that the lower edge of the upper sail is always upwind of the upper edge of said lower sail, the two edges being in lapped contacting relationship relative to each other.
A sail system for a sailboard of the type in which an operator rides the board in standing position, and manipulates the sail system in order to effect wind propulsion of the board, said sail system comprising:
- (a) a mast adapted at its lower end to be mounted on a sailboard,
- (b) a generally bowed boom extending transversely from said mast at an intermediate portion thereof,
- one end of said boom being rotatably associated with said mast,
- (c) an upper sail the luff of which is connected to said mast above said boom and the leech of which is connected to the end of said boom remote from said mast,
- said upper sail having a curved lower edge which curves downwardly in a direction away from said mast and then curves upwardly in a direction toward the end of said boom remote from said mast,
- (d) a lower sail the luff of which is connected to said mast below said boom and the leech of which is connected to said end of said boom remote from said mast, and
- said lower sail having an upper edge disposed at a sufficiently high elevation to be in lapped relationship to said curved lower edge of said upper sail.
A single-boom sail system for sailboards of the type in which an operator stands on the board and manually manipulates the sail system to effect wind propulsion of the board, said single-boom sail system having two separate sails which are caused to operate as a single sail unconstrained or creased by any boom element, the simulated single sail thus assuming a highly efficient aerodynamic shape, said sail system comprising:
- (a) a mast the lower end of which is adapted to be pivotally mounted on a board,
- (b) a boom one end of which is connected to an intermediate portion of said mast,
- said boom extending away from said mast transversely thereof,
- (c) an upper sail the luff of which is connected to said mast above said boom, and the leech of which is connected to the outer end of said boom,
- said upper sail having a lower edge the elevation of which is generally the same as that of said boom, and
- (d) a lower sail the luff of which is connected to said mast below said boom, and the leech of which is connected to the outer end of said boom,
- said lower sail having an upper edge the elevation of which is generally the same as that of said boom, said lower edge and said upper edge being on the downwind side of said boom, and spaced from said boom, on either tack, whereby the operator may readily grasp said boom, on either tack, while standing on the upwind side of said boom,
- (e) characterized in that said lower edge and upper edge are in lapped relationship to each other, and are adjacent each other, on either tack, and further characterized in that neither of said edges is close-connected to said boom except at the ends of said edges.
A method of sailing a sailboard, which comprises:
- (a) providing a sailboard having upper and lower sail portions, the lower edge of said upper sail portion and the upper edge of sail lower portion being lapped, and having a boom adapted to be grasped by the operator regardless of which tack the sailboard is on,
- (b) sailing said sailboard on a port tack with said sail edges in such relationship to each other that said lower edge is on the port side of said upper edge whereby wind moving down said upper sail portion flows onto said lower sail portion without passing in substantial amount between said lapped edges,
- (c) turning said sailboard to port, into the wind,
- (d) preventing said upper sail portion from being blown past said boom until after said lower portion has blown therepast, thus causing said lower edge to be on the starboard side of said upper edge,
- (e) walking around the mast of said sailboard and also grasping said boom from the side of the board opposite the one said boom was originally grasped from, and
- (f) sailing said boat on the starboard tack whereby wind moving down said upper portion flows onto said lower sail portion without passing in substantial amount in between said lapped edges.
A single-boom sail system for sailboards of the type in which an operator stands on the board and manually manipulates the said system to effect wind propulsion of the board, said single-boom sail system having two separate sails which are caused to operate as a single sail unconstrained or creased by any boom element, the simulated single sail thus assuming a highly efficient aerodynamic shape, said sail system comprising:
- (a) a mast the lower end of which is adapted to be pivotally mounted on a board,
- (b) a boom one end of which is connected to an intermediate portion of said mast,
- said boom extending away from said mast transversely thereof,
- (c) an upper sail the luff of which is connected to said mast above said boom, and the leech of which is connected to the outer end of said boom,
- said upper sail having a lower edge the elevation of which is generally the same as that of said boom, and
- (d) a lower sail the luff of which is connected to said mast below said boom, and the leech of which is connected to the outer end of said boom,
- said lower sail having an upper edge the elevation of which is generally the same as that of said boom, said lower edge and said upper edge being on the downwind side of said boom on either tack, whereby the operator may readily grasp said boom, on either tack, while standing on the upwind side of said boom, and
- (e) means provided in said lower sail to maintain the upper edge thereof in lapped relationship to the lower edge of said upper sail even under light-wind conditions.
A single-boom sail system for sailboards of the type in which an operator stands on the board and manually manipulates the sail system to effect wind propulsion of the board, said single-boom sail system having two separate sails which are caused to operate as a single sail unconstrained or creased by any boom element, the simulated single sail thus assuming a highly efficient aerodynamic shape, said sail system comprising:
- (a) a mast the lower end of which is adapted to be pivotally mounted on a board,
- (b) a boom one end of which is connected to an intermediate portion of said mast,
- said boom extending away from said mast transversely thereof,
- (c) an upper sail the luff of which is connected to said mast above said boom, and the leech of which is connected to the outer end of said boom,
- said upper sail having a lower edge the elevation of which is generally the same as that of said boom, and
- (d) a lower sail the luff of which is connected to said mast below said boom, and the leech of which is connected to the outer end of said boom,
- said lower sail having an upper edge the elevation of which is generally the same as that of said boom, said lower and upper edges of said sails being lapped relative to each other, said lower edge and said upper edge being on the downwind side of said boom on either tack, whereby the operator may readily grasp said boom, on either tack, while standing on the upwind said of said boom, and
- (e) differential outhaul means provided at the outer end of said boom and providing the means by which the leeches of said upper sail and lower sail are connected to said outer end of said boom, said differential outhaul means being adapted to permit independent adjustment of the tensions on said upper sail and lower sail whereby to cause the lapped edges thereof to be in surface engagement with each other for achievement of an effective seal.
A single-boom sail system for sailboards of the type in which an operator stands on the board and manually manipulates the sail system to effect wind propulsion of the board, said single-boom sail system having two separate sails which are caused to operate as a single sail unconstrained or creased by any boom element, the simulated single sail thus assuming a highly efficient aerodynamic shape, said sail system comprising:
- (a) a mast the lower end of which is adapted to be pivotally mounted on a board,
- (b) a boom one end of which is connected to an intermediate portion of said mast,
- said boom extending away from said mast transversely thereof, said boom being straight,
- (c) an upper sail the luff of which is connected to said mast above said boom, and the leech of which is connected to the outer end of said boom,
- said upper sail having a lower edge the elevation of which is generally the same as that of said boom, and
- (d) a lower sail the luff of which is connected to said mast below said boom, and the leech of which is connected to the outer end of said boom,
- said lower sail having an upper edge the elevation of which is generally the same as that of said boom, said lower edge and said upper edge being on the downwind side of said boom on either tack, whereby the operator may readily grasp said boom, on either tack, while standing on the upwind side of said boom,
- (e) characterized in that said lower edge and upper edge are in lapped relationship to each other, and are adjacent each other, on either tack, and further characterized in that neither of said edges is close-connected to said boom except at the ends of said edges.
A single-boom sail system for sailboards of the type in which an operator stands on the board and manually manipulates the said system to effect wind propulsion of the board, said single-boom sail system having two separate sails which are caused to operate as a single sail unconstrained or creased by any boom element, the simulated single sail thus assuming a highly efficient aerodynamic shape, said sail system comprising:
- (a) a mast the lower end of which is adapted to be pivotally mounted on a board,
- (b) a boom one end of which is connected to an intermediate portion of said mast,
- said boom extending away from said mast transversely thereof,
- (c) an upper sail the luff of which is connected to said mast above said boom, and the leech of which is connected to the outer end of said boom, said upper sail having a lower edge the elevation of which is generally the same as that of said boom, and
- (d) a lower sail the luff of which is connected to said mast below said boom, and the leech of which is connected to the outer end of said boom,
- said lower sail having an upper edge the elevation of which is generally the same as that of said boom, said lower edge and said upper edge being on the downwind side of said boom on either tack, whereby the operator may readily grasp said boom, on either tack, while standing on the upwind side of said boom,
- (e) characterized in that said lower edge and said upper edge are lapped relative to each other, and are spaced from said boom, on either tack, and further characterized in that neither of said edges is close-connected to said boom at regions intermediate said luffs and leeches.
A single-boom sail system for sailboards of the type in which an operator stands on the board and manually manipulates the sail system to effect wind propulsion of the board, comprising:
- (a) a mast the lower end of which is adapted to be mounted on a board,
- (b) a boom one end of which is connected to an intermediate portion of said mast,
- said boom extending away from said mast transversely thereof,
- (c) an upper sail the luff of which is connected to said mast above said boom, and the leech of which is connected to the outer end of said boom,
- (d) a lower sail the luff of which is connected to said mast below said boom, and the leech of which is connected to the outer end of said boom,
- said upper and lower sails having, respectively, lower and upper edges in lapped relationship to each other, said lapped lower edge and upper edge being on the downwind side of said boom on either tack,
- (e) characterized in that said lower sail and upper sail, including the lapped edges thereof, are so shaped and disposed as to operate substantially as a single sail unconstrained or creased by any boom element, to achieve advantages including enhanced aerodynamic efficiency.
A method of sailing a sailboard, which comprises:
- (a) providing a sailboard having its mast pivotally connected to the board for pivotal movement in substantially any direction, and having a boom so shaped that upon rotation of said boom, about an axis generally parallel thereto, at least a substantial portion of the boom will shift laterally a substantial distance, and having first and second sails respectively above and below said boom, the luffs of said sails being connected to said mast and the leeches of said sails being connected to said boom at a point remote from said mast,
- (b) causing the lower edge of said first sail, and the upper edge of said second sail, to be in lapped relationship to each other, so that said sails cooperate with each other to simulate a single large sail,
- (c) sailing said sailboard on a port tack, with said substantial portion of said boom on the port side of and spaced from said sail means, while standing on the board at the port side of said substantial portion of said boom,
- (d) commencing a coming-about operation by manipulating said boom to cause said board to turn to port, into the wind,
- (e) rotating said boom about said axis generally parallel thereto, in such manner that said substantial portion of said boom shifts laterally, between said edges of said first and second sails,
- (f) substantially simultaneously moving to the starboard side of said substantial portion of said boom, and
- (g) grasping said substantial portion of said boom and beginning to sail said sailboard on a starboard tack, while standing at the starboard side of said substantial portion of said boom, said sails then being on the port side of, and spaced from, said substantial portion of said boom.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.