Abstract: A wind turbine of the type having a rotor (1, 31) with a relatively large number of vanes (3-14, 35-40) mounted one behind the other on a central shaft (2, 30) of the rotor. At least a number of the vanes are mounted for free rotation relative to the central shaft and are coupled to adjacent vanes by a catch device (51, 52, 54, 55). A detecting device (100-105) is provided for detecting impending overload of the rotor, and a vane adjusting device (60-67) is provided which in response to impending overload detected by the detecting device can turn the vanes mounted for free rotation relative to the shaft and relatively to one another so that the vanes become at least partially aligned one behind the other.