Vang assembly for sailboats

A vang assembly for manipulating a sailboat boom pivotally connected to the lower portion of a sailboat mast, comprising:

• a resiliently flexible elongate member having first and second opposite end portions, the first end portion having attachment means for connection to the lower portion of the mast below the boom and the second end portion having second attachment means for connection to the boom at a location spaced outwardly and upwardly from the first attachment means,
• the elongate member being formed of two juxtaposed elongate resiliently flexible hollow tubes and said first and second end portions, the tubes having proximal and distal ends each held in spaced relation by the first and second end portions being interposed therebetween and secured thereto;
• and
• adjustment means extending longitudinally of the elongate member and connected to the first and second end portions, the adjustment means being movable between a contracted position and an extended position,
• whereby movement of the adjustment means to contracted position exerts forces bowing the elongate member into an arched position and urging the boom in a downward direction, and movement of the adjustment means to extended position releases the downwardly directed force on the boom and further releases the elongate member from its arched position to exert an upward force on the boom.

A vang assembly for manipulating a sailboat boom pivotally connected to the lower portion of a sailboat mast, comprising:

• a mechanical vang including a resiliently flexible elongate member having first and second opposite end portions, the first end portion having first attachment means for swingable connection to the lower portion of the mast below the boom and the second end portion having a second attachment means for swingable connection to the boom at a location spaced outwardly and upwardly from the first attachment means;
• and
• a soft vang extending longitudinally of the mechanical vang and connected to the first and second end portions, the soft vang being movable between a contracted position and an extended position,
• whereby movement of the soft vang to contracted position exerts forces bowing the elongate member into an arched position and urging the boom in a downward direction, and movement of the soft vang to extended position releases the downwardly directed force on the boom and further releases the elongate member from its arched position to exert an upward force on the boom.