Method and apparatus to increase the velocity of sailing vessels

A method of increasing the velocity of a sailing vessel moving in a body of water and decreasing its leeward drift, said sailing being in a state of equilibrium in accordance with the energy balance:

• W=F+L+D+E,
• where
• W=Energy of the wind
• F=Energy of the wind which forwardly propels the sailing vessel
• L=Energy wasted by the sailing vessel drifting leewardly by the wind
• D=Energy wasted by drag of the hull
• E=Entropy lost energy
• said method comprising the steps of selectively exposing an appendage having a cambered surface and a less cambered surface, in the water, generating a lift force vector by the water passing over the cambered surface on said appendage, directing said lift force vector counter to the direction of drift of the sailing vessel by the wind, more greatly reducing the waisted drift energy then the additional drag energy of said appendage in the moving water plus the energy increase in entropy so as to change the balance of energy to:
• W=(F+f)+(L-g)+(D+d)+(E+e),
• where
• W=Energy of the wind
• F=Energy of the wind which forwardly propels the sailing vessel before the exposure of the cambered surface of the wing to the water
• f=The increase in energy for increasing the vessel forward velocity when the asymmetric wing is exposed to the water
• L=Energy wasted by the sailboat drifting leewardly by the wind
• g=Leeward Drift Energy saved when asymmetric wing is exposed to the water
• D=Drag Energy wasted by water passing over the submerged portion of the sailing vessel before exposing the asymmetric wing to the water
• d=The increase in drag energy wasted by water passing over the asymmetric wing
• E=Entropy wasted energy before exposing asymmetric wing to the water, and
• e=The increase in entropy energy wasted when the asymmetric wing is exposed to the water
• whereby so that the forward velocity of the sailing vessel is increased provided "g" is greater than "d"+"e" and adjusting said appendage longitudinally position relative to a center of the wind pressure upon the sails of said sailing vessel to controlably move a center of water pressure upon the appendage to produce a selected amount of weather helm for offsetting the undesirable lee helm upon the sailing vessel produced by said lift force vector acting upon the appendage.

An appendage adapted to be exposed in a stream of water under a tacking sailing vessel being driven by a wind force vector upon its sails which drives said tacking sailing vessel in a desired forward direction and in an undesired leeward drift direction, which comprises at least one appendage having a cambered surface and a less cambered surface, means moveably securing said appendage to the hull of the sailing vessel, said cambered surface on said appendage being selectively shaped to have a high lift/drag ratio so that the amount of wasted energy saved when the sailing vessel drifts leewardly is equal to the difference between the wind force vector in said leeward drift direction and the lift force vector times the reduced leeward drift distance in a given period of time resulting from the reduced wind force vector in said leeward drift direction, such multiplication product being greater than the amount of the incremental increase in the wasted drag energy by water passing over said appendage plus the lost entropy energy associated with the energy transfer, said saved energy increasing the forward speed of the sailing yacht because energy cannot be destroyed, and adjusting said appendage longitudinally position relative to a center of the wind pressure upon the sails of said sailing vessel to controlably move a center of water pressure upon the appendage to produce a selected amount of weather helm for offsetting the undesirable lee helm upon the sailing vessel produced by said lift force vector acting upon the appendage and means to move the center of water pressure upon said appendage to produce weather helm for offsetting the undesirable lee helm upon a sailing vessel produced by said lift force vector on said appendage.

The sailing vessel moving in a body of water in the state of equilibrium in accordance with the energy balance:

• W=F+L+D+E,
• where
• W=Energy of the wind
• F=Energy of the wind which forwardly propels the sailing vessel
• L=Energy wasted by the sailing vessel drifting leewardly by the wind
• D=Energy wasted by drag of the hull
• E=Entropy lost energy
• said sailing vessel comprising at least one submergible appendage having a cambered surface and a less cambered surface for increasing the sailboat's forward speed and decreasing its windward drift, means for selectively exposing said submergible appendage for reducing the wasted leeward drift energy of the sailing vessel and for selectively positioning its cambered surfaces so that a force generated by the water passing over said cambered surfaces has a component to counter the sailboat's windward drift for changing the energy balance to:
• W=(F+f)+(L-g)+(D+d)+(E+e),
• where
• W=Energy of the wind
• F=Energy of the wind which forwardly propels the sailing vessel before the exposure of the cambered surface of the wing to the water
• f=The increase in energy for increasing the vessel forward velocity when the asymmetric wing is exposed to the water
• L=Energy wasted by the sailboat drifting leewardly by the wind
• g=Leeward Drift Energy saved when asymmetric wing is exposed to the water
• D=Draft Energy wasted by water passing over the submerged portion of the sailing vessel before exposing the asymmetric wing to the water
• d=The increase in drag energy wasted by water passing over the asymmetric wing
• E=Entropy wasted energy before exposing asymmetric wing to the water, and
• e=The increase in entropy energy wasted when the asymmetric wing is exposed to the water
• whereby, the forward velocity of the sailing vessel is increased provided "g" is greater than "d"+"e" and means adjusting said appendage longitudinally position relative to a center of the wind pressure upon the sails of said sailing vessel to controlably move a center of water pressure upon the appendage to produce a selected amount of weather helm for offsetting the undesirable lee helm upon the sailing vessel produced by said lift force vector acting upon the appendage.