Roofing shingle system and shingles for use therein

A roofing shingle comprising:

• a headlap portion, a buttlap portion, a lateral leading edge, a lateral trailing edge, a straight longitudinal rear edge, and a non-straight longitudinal front edge;
• wherein said shingle is a single-layer shingle;
• wherein said headlap portion has a headlap width that is less than a maximum buttlap width of said buttlap portion;
• wherein said lateral leading edge includes at least one leading abutting portion and a leading edge projection that extends away from the shingle;
• wherein said lateral trailing edge includes at least one trailing abutting portion and a trailing edge projection that extends away from the shingle;
• wherein the leading edge projection has a projected edge, a rear edge, and a variable breadth that increases toward the rear edge of the leading edge projection;
• wherein the trailing edge projection has a weather edge, a rear edge, and a variable breadth that increases toward the rear edge of the trailing edge projection;
• and wherein the leading edge projection mirrors the trailing edge projection.

A roofing system comprising:

• single-layer shingles having a headlap portion, a buttlap portion, a lateral leading edge, and a lateral trailing edge;
• wherein said headlap portion has a maximum headlap width that is less than a maximum buttlap width of said buttlap portion;
• wherein said lateral leading edge includes at least one leading abutting portion and a leading edge projection that extends away from the shingle;
• wherein said lateral trailing edge includes at least one trailing abutting portion and a trailing edge projection that extends away from the shingle;
• wherein the roofing system comprises a plurality of courses of the shingles, and wherein the lateral trailing edge of a subsequently installed shingle in a first course of shingles partially abuts and partially overlaps the lateral leading edge of an adjacent previously installed shingle in the first course of shingles to form an interlocking edge between adjacent shingles in the first course of shingles;
• wherein the trailing edge projection has a weather edge, a rear edge, and a variable breadth that increases toward the rear edge of the trailing edge projection;
• wherein the leading edge projection mirrors the trailing edge projection;
• and wherein the buttlap portion includes a plurality of tabs separated by a plurality of openings.

A roofing shingle comprising:

• a headlap portion, a buttlap portion, a lateral leading edge, and a lateral trailing edge;
• wherein said shingle is a single-layer shingle;
• wherein said headlap portion has a maximum headlap width that is less than a maximum buttlap width of said buttlap portion;
• wherein said lateral leading edge includes at least one leading abutting portion and a leading edge projection that extends away from the shingle;
• wherein said lateral trailing edge includes at least one trailing abutting portion and a trailing edge projection that extends away from the shingle;
• wherein the trailing edge projection has a weather edge, a rear edge, and a variable breadth that increases toward the rear edge of the trailing edge projection;
• wherein the leading edge projection mirrors the trailing edge projection;
• and wherein the buttlap portion includes a plurality of tabs separated by a plurality of openings.