Sails for sailboats having self-tacking leech flaps

Ships – Sail or control means therefor – Having airflow control device for sail

Patent

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114 3931, B63H 904

Patent

active

060705450

ABSTRACT:
In an improved sail for a sailboat, the trailing edges of a pair of flaps of a conventional sail material are attached to the trailing edge of the sail, one on each side; the leading edges of the flaps are not fixed to the sail, but are connected to one another by short sections of line extending through holes in the sail. When the boat is tacked from one tack to the other, the leading edge of the flap on the new windward side is pulled away from the surface of the sail by the wind, so that a flow-impeding lip is provided on the windward side of the leech. At the same time, the lines pull the leeward flap against the main body of the sail, so that drag is not increased substantially. Substantial improvements in sailing performance are realized, while no control action is required to cause the flaps thus to be reconfigured upon tacking, and so that ordinary sailing manuevers and all normal sail handling operations may be carried out without complication.

REFERENCES:
patent: 4655122 (1987-04-01), McCabe
patent: 5271349 (1993-12-01), Magrini
patent: 5599172 (1997-02-01), McCabe
McCabe, "McCabe Airfoil Design . . . " Levr/Air Technical Data 1983-1998.
Marchaj, C.A., Sail Performance, McGraw-Hill 1990, p. 43-111.
Whidden, Tom, The Art and Science of Sails, St. Martin's 1990 p. 72-94, 195.
Garrett, Ross, The Symmetry of Sailing, Adlard Coles 1995 pp. 83-87.
Ross, Wallace, Sail Power, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. 1975, pp. 90-100.
Smith, Carroll, Engineer to Win, Motorbooks, Int'l 1984, p. 241.

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