Abstract: A sail and sailing rig smoothes the flow of air past a conventional mast and onto the sail, thereby enhancing the power of the sail. The sail includes a sail body having a mast-enveloping portion located at its luff in the form of a sleeve or a plurality of loops that encircle and rotate about the mast, and a connected remaining portion. The sail also has a forward fairing connected to a leading surface of the mast-enveloping portion of the sail body; the forward fairing is rotatable about the mast with rotation of the mast-enveloping portion. The sailing rig includes structures for attaching the sail to the mast, and structures for pulling the sail in and easing it out. The former may include structures for facilitating rotation of the mast-enveloping portion of the sail.

Abstract: An automated sail tension control system has a cunningham, outhaul, and vang that are automatically tensioned and eased, as the boom is sheeted in and out, respectively, on either side of the sailing vessel. The system comprises: a mast; a boom connected at its forward end to the mast; a vertical axis of pivot for the boom at its connection with the mast; a cunningham and outhaul that are led from points on the boom substantially aft of the vertical axis of pivot to points on the mast or deck that are substantially forward of or laterally from a projection of the vertical axis of pivot; and a vang whose lower end is usually mounted somewhat forward of a projection of the vertical axis of pivot or on an arced means that allows it to slide laterally more than fore and aft.

Abstract: An apparatus for aiding in the steerage of boats has one or more fins connected to each side of the aft part of the boat, such that the fins are entirely above the water until the boat is so heeled as to have moderate helm, and after that the fin(s) on the heeled-down side become progressively more immersed as the boat heels further. The spanwise axes of the fins are about vertically disposed when the boat is upright. The cordwise axes of the fins slope inward toward the longitudinal axis of the boat. The fore-aft sectional shape of the fins may be asymmetrical to improve the lift/drag characteristics. One fin on either side may be attached spanwise to a shaft mounted in a shaft housing extending obliquely through the hull and deck; the shafts may be fixed at several angles, or actively adjusted to counter variations in the magnitude of weather-helm and lee-helm experienced by the boat.