Abstract: A sailing rig for use on a sailboat comprising a sail formed in the shape of two approximately ellipsoidal portions with a free-standing mast being rotatable on its vertical axis, the mast being curved near its top from the vertical axis of rotation of the mast so that the sail, when the sailboat is close-hauled, folds around the mast and when the sailboat runs before the wind, the sail unfolds and opens to fly free of the mast.

Abstract: A mast foot for sailing boards comprising a holder securable to the sailing board and a connector which is connected to the holder by a universal joint and can be connected to the mast. The holder and connector are provided with curved faces which frictionally roll on each other during movement, in all directions, and which positively interengage to provide the universal joint. The holder and connector are held together by an elastic tension member. In one embodiment, the older is a half cup and the connector is a bearing sphere supported by the half cup. In another embodiment, the holder is provided with a ring having a bead-like edge and the connector has a complementary annual groove.

Abstract: A mast foot for sail boards having a universal joint for connection of the mast through the mast foot, with the sail board hull. The universal joint is joined up by way of a middle pin forming part of a bearing unit, which is designed to be fixedly joined to the hull. The middle pin is furthermore able to be moved, together with the universal joint, in relation to the rest of the bearing unit against the force of a spring in a direction generally normal to the deck of the sail board. The spring may be adjusted with respect to the force produced by it acting against upward motion of the middle pin. The bearing unit can be joined with the sail board hull in a sleeve by way of a turning joint like a bayonet connection.

Abstract: An inflatable bladder assembly which is to be located within the hollow interior of a boat mast, which when inflated, is to be pressed against the wall of the interior chamber of the mast. Normally there are elongated wires or cables which are located within the interior chamber of the mast. With the inflatable bladder assembly inflated, these wires and cables will be tightly pressed against the wall of the interior chamber thereby not capable of movement relative thereto and therefore not capable of producing noise. The inflatable bladder assembly is to be composed of a plurality of separate bladder units mounted in a spaced-apart manner on a pressurized air conducting conduit.

Abstract: A boardsailing device includes a sport converter which permits the boardsailing device to be converted into a hang glider. Essentially all of the power required for hang gliding is supplied by boardsailing, and the conversion from boardsailing to hang gliding is executed during boardsailing.

Abstract: An apparatus for supporting the mast of a sailing board includes a guide rail fixedly mounted on the top face of the sailing board and extending along the length of the sailing board, a member receiving the root of the mast and slidably mounted on the guide rail to move along the length thereof, and locking pedals for selectively locking the member relative to the guide rail.

Abstract: A radar loaded, hollow yacht mast is disclosed which is pivoted at the bottom to the deck by a tri-sectioned elastomeric torsion spring hinge assembly in which the torsion is produced by relative rotation between the inner section and the two outer sections. The torsional resistance of the hinge assembly prevents the mast from falling when the bolts and stays are removed and the restoring force in the spring elastomer when the mast is pivoted flat to the deck assists in raising the mast back into its upright position. A hollow, flanged mounting connecting the hollow mast to the movable section of the hinge assembly prevents sea water from entering the hollows. Provisions are provided for pre-loading the hinge spring with a torsional stress in either direction when the hinge is closed.

Abstract: This invention is a removable and buoyant sail cradle for use on small sailboats having detachable masts and booms such as the commercially available AMF All-Court Sunfish such that the sail cradle has a stem having a hollow first end which inserts within the mast hole of a sailboat after the mast has been removed where the first end has an upper and lower portion such that the lower portion is watertightly sealed by an inserted cap and the upper portion is sealed by a second end of the sail cradle where the second end extends above the deck and has a cradle portion has a C-type ring having the open portion facing away from the stem and upward for captivating receipt of the detached mast, boom and furled sail above the deck of a sailboat while in transit. The device also doubles in utility as a sealed flotation device in the event that the boat is capsized while in use.

Abstract: A sailboard assembly includes at least two sailboards with each sailboard being linked to another sailboard by a flexible rigid link.

Abstract: A connection assembly for marine rigging in the form of ropes and rods employs a relatively thick rigid internal tang that is mounted in an opening in a mast or other tubular member. A keyhole is formed in the tang in the opening which is arranged to receive a key affixed to the end of the rigging. A pocket extends into the tang from the side thereof inside the mast, at a point that is spaced vertically from the keyhole. This pocket receives the rigging key after it is seated in the keyhole so that when the rigging is in its normal orientation with respect to the mast, its key is securely locked in the keyhole.

Abstract: A sailboat of the catamaran type has a pair of hulls joined by a pair of wedge shaped crossbeams, the crossbeams geometry being oriented to provide balanced distribution of loading on the hulls and crossbeams. An easily dismantable, multipart mast is stepped on the forward crossbeam and has a hook engaged by a ring or the like which is coupled to the shrouds and stay cables. The opposited ends of these cables has a unique "T" member for quick coupling with slotted shroud and stay anchor plates on the hulls of the boat. The rudder assembly includes an extruded rudder blade mounted in a rudder guide for vertical movement such that it is automatically raised upon encountering an obstruction.

Abstract: This invention relates to an adjustable airfoil which in one embodiment includes a pivotal mast having laterally extending spaced upper and lower arms. Between the arms is a vane which is rotatably mounted on the mast and has a luff slot at its aft end for receiving the forward end of spaced battens connected to flexible sail panels. The panels are provided with inserts at their forward ends sewed in such a manner as to cause the panels to fold in accordion fashion when they are lowered. The sail is raised and lowered by a halyard which may be either in the form of an endless loop mounted adjacent a positioning cable extending between the aft ends of the arms or it may extend forwardly and down through the mast and back to a control station, such as the helm of a sailboat.

Abstract: Mast steps that may be attached to any vertical spar or surface when needed for climbing said spar or surface, and removed and nested for easy storage when not in use.

Abstract: A glider sail assembly comprises a center boom with a fore end for directing into a wind and a mount for connecting the center boom generally horizontally at the top of a mast and directed at an upward angle towards the fore end. Each of two side booms has a fore end connected to the center boom near the fore end of the center boom and flexible portions near an aft end of said each side boom. The side booms are extendable to diverge away from each other in a V-shaped arrangement. A generally triangular sail is securable to the booms, so the sail extends between the side booms, and has skirt portions at each side thereof adjacent the flexible portions of the side booms. The skirt portions extend downwardly when the flexible portions of the side booms are deflected downwardly, so one of the skirt portions provides a propulsive force when the center boom is directed into the wind.

Abstract: A sailboat mast is composed of two portions, a forward portion supported on the hull by standing rigging and having a concave aft side, and an aft portion, which may be of circular cross-section, supported close to and in line with the forward portion at both ends, the top support, however permitting the top of the aft portion of the mast to be bent away from the forward portion in order to affect the shape of the sail. The main sail is carried by the aft portion of the mast in such a way that when working in any kind of a crosswind, it extends away from the mast in a substantially tangential direction, on the lee side.

Abstract: This mast and boom carrier combination consists primarily of a bow member and a stern member, having a multiple number of openings, for receiving different sizes of masts and booms, and it is designed for wheeled carrier use in transporting a sailing vessel.

Abstract: The mast displacement system is mounted on the hull of a sailboat and holds the mast in a movable, upstanding relationship on the hull. A rectilinear mast guide track is rigidly mounted to the hull of a sailboat and extends in an approximately horizontal attitude and transverse to the longitudinal centerline of the hull, and a mast pedestal includes track engaging guides which engage the mast guide track so that the pedestal is movable along the length of the mast guide track. The mast of the sailboat is held by the mast pedestal in an upstanding attitude, and a plurality of mast stabilizer arms extend laterally from the mast pedestal and move in unison with the mast pedestal, with the forwardly extending one of the stabilizer arms being slidably connected to a second rectilinear guide track mounted to the hull of the boat.

Abstract: A mast base for a wind surf-board adapted to have a mast cardanically fastened thereto. The mast base is releasably latchable in a sleeve or in an aperture within the body of the sailing board or wind surf-board, and includes spring-elastically adjustable latching elements which engage in corresponding recesses in the sleeve or aperture within the wind surf-board. An externally manipulatable adjusting collar is connected to a clamping nut or toggle member to bias the latching elements so as to exert variably selectable latching forces.

Abstract: A catamaran boat having hollow mast and hulls is provided with a system comprising a manually operable pneumatic pump and flexible conduits communicating between the pump and the interiors of the hollow mast and hulls, whereby the interiors can be pressurized to drive water therefrom through an ejection device provided with check valves. The removal of water not only lightens the weight of the boat for securement of greater speed, but enables the boat to be righted if capsized in a turtle position.

Abstract: A mast shroud system includes a spreader-tang assembly composed of a rigid bracket extending entirely through the mast which functions as both a spreader root spigot and a tang for securing the terminated upper ends of shrouds to the mast. The shroud terminals are seated in pockets formed in the bracket and tubular spreaders are telescopically engaged over opposite ends of the bracket so that the spreaders lock the terminals in their respective pockets and conceal them while at the same time locking the bracket to the mast.

Abstract: An improved wind-propelled apparatus is disclosed which includes a body mounting a stub mast generally orthogonal thereto. The stub mast is mounted in a well formed on the body and secured by a sleeve, resilient annulus and plug combination. Mounted on the stub mast is a generally vertical sail mast which is rotatable about a vertical axis. The stub mast also mounts a boom of sufficient length as to be capable of passing under the sail and having an eye and strap arrangement for securing the boom on either side of the sail.

Abstract: An electrical isolation system is disclosed for use on sailboats having metal masts and shrouds for preventing accidental shocking or electrocution of persons who contact lower portions of the mast or shrouds and/or electrical conductors appended thereto when the top of the mast or shrouds come into contact with an electrical high voltage distribution or transmission line with the system including an insulating member separating the upper portion of the mast from a lower portion of the mast.

Abstract: A sailing craft is provided which has the ability to limit heeling under various headings, and which includes a deck assembly mounted for lateral movement between two outrigger type hulls. The deck assembly may be moved toward the windward side of the craft, and so that its weight and that of the crew serve to counteract heeling resulting from the wind forces. A third hull is mounted adjacent the bow portion of the deck assembly, and the three hulls are disposed in a triangular, highly stable arrangement. Also, apparatus is provided whereby the crew may selectively rotate the third hull about a vertical axis to effect steering of the craft.

Abstract: A catamaran sailboat is provided which has the ability to limit heeling from the wind forces, to thereby maximize the effective sail area and speed. The catamaran includes a deck assembly which may be selectively moved laterally between the hulls by the crew, and whereby the weight of the deck, mast, sail, rigging, and crew may all be moved in the windward direction to effectively counterbalance the wind forces. In one embodiment, the two hulls are each continuous along their full length, and in a second embodiment each hull comprises a pair of longitudinally aligned hull sections, with at least one hull section of each pair being rotatable about a vertical axis to effect steering of the craft.

Abstract: A trimaran sailboat is provided which has the ability to limit heeling under various headings, and which includes a central hull, and a boom assembly mounted laterally across the central hull and having an outrigger hull at each end thereof. The boom assembly has an arcuate curvature along its length, and is mounted so as to permit lateral movement with respect to the central hull, so that the leeward outrigger hull may be moved outwardly from the central hull and downwardly with respect thereto, to thereby increase the leverage and buoyancy of the leeward outrigger hull.

Abstract: A sail mounting frame extends upwardly from the hull of a boat and is constructed of a lower section and an upper section which rotate relative to each other about a first axis of rotation which extends generally vertically upwardly with respect to the hull of the boat. An overhung axle is rotatably journaled to the mounting frame upper section for rotation about a second axis corresponding to the longitudinal axis of the axle. A circular convex sail is supported by a correspondingly shaped support frame, which support frame is mounted on the free end of the axle for rotation of the sail about both the first and second axis of rotation.

Abstract: Apparatus for supporting and furling a sail wherein a hollow mast having a chamber therein is provided with a slot leading into the chamber and a rotatable inner mast in the chamber arranged to bear the weight of the sail in compression. Rotating the inner mast furls the sail. The inner mast is also relatively rigid against torsional bending, its diameter is relatively large. The width of the slot is also relatively large and contoured so that the sail slides freely through the slot even though wrinkled. As a result, the sail can employ adequate fullness, and risk of jamming while furling is minimized.

Abstract: In a sailing craft, in which the foot of a sail is attached to a yard pivoted on a boom, itself pivoted on the mast, this sail, provided to be of single or double-thickness, preferably comprising a sectioned front edge, restraints are provided for selectively blocking either the yard with respect to the boom, or the boom with respect to the hull of the craft, so that the sail may pivot either on itself or about the mast, as desired.

Abstract: A sail feeder for mounting on a mast formed with a sail receiving slot, said slot having an enlarged entrance for receiving the bolt rope of a mainsail, includes a rigid plate having a pair of legs projecting out from the plate at laterally-spaced locations thereon. The legs are oriented at the same acute angle relative to the plate and they are toed toward one another so that their free ends are spaced apart a distance less than the spacing between their ends attached to the plate. The said feeder is arranged to be secured to the mast at a location directly below the slot entrance. When raising the sail, the end of the bolt rope at the head of the sail is passed through the sail feeder and thence into the slot via its entrance. As the sail is raised by the main halyard, the bolt rope is drawn through the sail feeder which aligns the rope with the slot entrance so that hoisting of the sail can proceed without any need of manually aligning the bolt rope with the slot entrance or the feeder.

Abstract: A mast is mounted onto a boat for 360.degree. rotation about its longitudinal axis, relative to the sailboat and the rigging for the mast. The rigging braces the mast against buckling and comprises a masthead, a transverse spreader bar and shrouds. A forwardly directed longitudinal channel in the mast receives bolt ropes at the forward edges of two soft fabric panels which together make up the mainsail. Each mainsail panel extends from its bolt rope within the channel out through a narrow slot in the mast. When sailing generally into the wind, each mainsail panel curves partially around its side of the mast and then extends rearwardly from a line of tangency with its side of the mast, generally contiguous the mainsail panel. Each side panel of the mainsail is secured along its lower edge to a separate boom, so that the two booms can be swung apart to move the two sail panels into a "wing-out" position, for use when sailing with the wind.

Abstract: A hollow columnar structure fabricated from at least two, part-oval, extruded aluminium sections and intended for use as a sailing vessel mast or boom, a lamp standard or as piping. The sections each have a longitudinally extending groove along each of the longitudinal edges thereof, the grooves of one section being contiguous with the grooves of another when the sections are placed in position to form the columnar structure. Each groove is T-shaped in section whereby, when two such grooves come into co-operating relationship, the resultant cavity is of H-section. An H-shaped extrusion of synthetic plastics material is then inserted in each of the cavities to join the sections. The extrusions can be drawn through the cavities or can be extruded directly into the cavities. In an alternative form the structure is solid.

Abstract: A standard windsurfer having a surfboard-type body provided with a daggerboard and having a mast and boom that support a sail on the surfboard is formed with an upwardly open storage compartment that is normally covered by a reversible lid. One side of the lid is smooth and when turned up forms a smooth continuation of the upper surface of the surfboard. The other side is formed with a seat which when turned up provides a stable sitting place for the user of the windsurfer who may also place his or her feet in recesses in front of this seat. The mast and boom may be held on the top of the surfboard by means of clips, with the mast passing through a groove formed in the seat. The storage compartment contains auxiliary propulsion equipment such as a paddle which may fit into the end of a mast section, or a small electric outboard motor.

Abstract: A sailboard for wind surfing comprising a board to which a mast is connected by a heel joint. A sail is stretched on the mast. The heel joint comprises two opposed bushings, one coupled to the mast and the other to the board and a block of material of high elasticity is engaged in the bushings and coupled thereto to permit elastic pivotal movement of the mast by rocking of the bushings on one another. The block of material is resistant to water and heat. The lower bushing is coupled to an insertion pin which can be sealably and rotatably inserted in a recess in the board.

Abstract: A sleeve is rotatably mounted on the hull of a vessel on a generally vertical axis and contains and completely supports the mainsail rollably furled or partly furled about a generally vertical axis. The sleeve is aerodynamically formed with a forward curved nose and opposite aerodynamic sides extending rearwardly from the nose and converging toward each other with a slot at the aft end between the sides through which slot a sail may be movable to furl within the sleeve or may be pulled out at the aft end of the sleeve through the slot various extents for providing the desired area of sail exposed to the wind, thus providing a roller reefing arrangement by rolling the luff of the mainsail to partly furl it within the sleeve.

Abstract: Sail is leewardly positioned with respect to the mast by flexible panels attached at, and extending aftwardly from a point approximately at the greatest width of the mast. Sail is guided by transverse stiff members mounted on the panels at their aft edges, to a predetermined, aerodynamically efficient stopped position.

Abstract: The present invention relates to arrangements for dampening sound-vibrations in elongate hollow members and more particularly to devices especially useful on sailing vessels to attentuate sound-vibrations generated by halyards slapping against hollow masts under the effect of wind or rolling and pitching movements of the vessel.

Abstract: A hollow mast having a longitudinal slot in the aft end thereof contains a stationary tension member supporting a rotatable rod having at least one C-shaped groove longitudinally disposed therein parallel to the tension member. The C-shaped groove is adapted to retain a bead located in the luff of a sail. A swivel surrounding the rod provides a rotatable part for hoisting the sail and a non-rotatable part for attachment of a sail hoisting halyard. A rotator is provided for rotating the rotatable member whereby the sail is furled about the rotatable member protected within the mast.

Abstract: A sailing rig having camber adjustments is disclosed. The rig includes a mast that is sharply cambered adjacent its base and pivoted to a vehicle, and a boom pivoted to the center pivot of the mast. The sail may be connected to the mast by a continuous bead on the edge of the sail which is received in a slot in the mast and slides between two halyards that are connected to the sail and pass through the tubular mast, one on each side of the slot.

Abstract: In a sailing board having a tiltable and rotatable mast which is held by the user during sailing and is supported on the board by a base fitting, a lower portion of the mast adjoining the base fitting is flexible and is bridged by a resilient mounting.

Abstract: An elongate mast section that when joined to at least one further section along the longitudinal edges thereof forms a mast. Each longitudinal edge has a U-shaped portion including a protruding flange which is joined to the corresponding flange of the adjacent section by means of a joining strip. A wedge is driven between the bases of the flanges to force the flanges into firm frictional engagement with the joining strips to complete the basic mast.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to an apparatus to improve the efficiency and performance of an aerodynamic lift structure for use on sailing devices. A two-sided, spaced apart sail structure is provided with resiliently deformable struts for each side, attached at one end to a beam, fixed to the mast of the sailing device, the mast being rotatable about its vertical axis in either direction relative to vertical planes along the longitudinal axes of the sailing device and the boom in a manner whereby a cam action is produced by the beam to deform or bend the struts in a manner so as to vary the camber of the wing sail, the amount of camber of one side of the wing sail being greater than the concave curvature of the opposed side thus producing an airfoil configuration.

Abstract: A sail furling apparatus having a fixed core for connection to a wind powered device is disclosed herein. A rotatable sail sleeve having a bore formed therein is rotatably mounted on the fixed core. A double sheet airfoil sail is connected to the rotatable sail sleeve. A boom sleeve is mounted beneath the rotatable sail sleeve and engages the core. A boom is connected to the boom sleeve and is positioned perpendicular to the core, the sail sleeve and the boom sleeve. A freely rotatable eccentric sheath substantially surrounds the sail sleeve. The freely rotatable eccentric sheath has a slot and the airfoil sail passes through the slot. A furling apparatus is used to rotate the sail sleeve to draw the airfoil sail into the eccentric sheath or release it from the eccentric sheath.

Abstract: In the mainsail roll-furling system disclosed herein, the mainsail is roller-furled inside a tubular compartment in the mast itself, the sail being drawn out through an aft-facing slot in the mast. A swivel is utilized between the halyard and the luff of the mainsail and a guide is provided on the halyard side of the swivel which both positively prevents rotation of the halyard during furling of the sail and positions the upper end of the sail luff essentially in the middle of the sail storage compartment.

Abstract: A high efficiency aerodynamic sail system for boats comprises a triangular fabric sail pivotally suspended at its head from the apex of a tripod mast structure such that air impinging upon the luff of the sail is free from the turbulent wake of any upwind structure. The foot of the sail is attached only at its tack and clew ends to opposite ends of a spar which is pivotally attached at its center to a short stub mast centrally positioned in respect to the tripod mast. The sail luff and leech side deflections are caused to be identical by cables to provide a constant angle of attack of the sail to the wind along the entire sail height. A sail-shaping batten having a longitudinally varying cross section is employed along the foot of the sail. Loading of the batten by pressure generated by the wind causes the batten, and thus the sail, to assume an optimum airfoil shape.

Abstract: The gooseneck fitting disclosed herein carries a reel adapted for roll-furling a mainsail along its luff edge, the reel being positioned within a hollow mast with which the gooseneck fitting is used so the mainsail can be rolled up within the mast. The gooseneck fitting incorporates also a sheave for turning a line being drawn horizontally off the reel in a downwardly direction to a point of exit from the gooseneck fitting beneath the boom.

Abstract: This disclosure pertains to a telescoping mast hingeably and removably affixed at the base portion thereof to the deck of a sailboat. A series of inwardly spring biased spheres engage recesses in adjacent telescoping elements of the mast thereby releasably maintaining the mast in an extended position. Each telescoping section of the mast is provided with a longitudinal slot, used to engage a plurality of outwardly radially extending mainsail securing tabs. Circular or elliptical mast cross-sections may be employed, utilizing a flexible line running over the mast top to raise and lower the mainsail.

Abstract: Boat stay fastening having a main body extending through the mast and having a hollow cap at each end, the interior of each cap having a spherical surface in which resides a ball adapted to be attached to a stay.

Abstract: The invention relates generally to masts for the rigging of sailing boats, such as for example centerboard boats of the "FINN" series, and is directed to the problem of increasing the elasticity of known masts of wood or tubular metal. A mast according to the invention is provided with a longitudinal slot, the lips of which may be brought to face each other and are fixed together in places in a non-continuous manner. By this means the mast is given a substantial capacity for elastic torsion, resulting in improvement in its performance.

Abstract: A removable step climbing assembly that includes a number of longitudinally separated, confined space defining pairs of brackets alternately located on opposite side of a vertically extending rigid member, such as a mast of a ship or the like. A pair of step defining units are provided each of which units includes a pair of longitudinally spaced flanges that may removably and concurrently engage the confined spaces of two of the pairs of brackets on opposite sides of the elongate member. As a person climbs up or down the elongate member, the step defining units are sequentially removed from the brackets in which they are supported and moved to adjacent free bracket to permit the person to use the units as steps in ascending or descending the elongate member. Resilient triggers are provided that automatically interlock with the bracket to prevent inadvertent disengagement of the step defining unit therefrom.