Sailing boat accessory

Abstract

The invention relates to a sailing boat accessory, usable in boats comprising a mast, a forestay and at least one free-flying sail (spinnaker and / or furling sail). The accessory comprises a C-shaped body (1) with a cable (4) joined at one end to the body (1) and associated with the connection of the head (5) of the spinnaker or furling sail, the body (1) being coupled to a forestay bolt rope (7) with an external cross-section equal to or smaller than the internal cross-section of the body (1). The body (1) moves along the bolt rope and uncouples by itself near the upper end of same.

Description

[0001] DESCRIPTION

[0002] SAILING BOAT ACCESSORY

[0003] OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The invention, as the title of this specification establishes, is a system for guiding the top of free-flying athwart or downwind sails (not furled on the fore stay headrope) (symmetrical spinnakers, asymmetrical spinnakers and furling athwart or downwind sails) through the headstay headrope during hoisting. This keeps the top of the free-flying sail forward next to the headstay during hoisting, preventing it from flying aft behind the leech of the genoa or jib and / or close to the mast.

[0005] STATE OF THE ART

[0006] The spinnaker, also known as a spinnaker, balloon jib, balloon sail, or balloon sail, is a special sail on sport sailing boats used with a downwind. It is also used on some cruising boats. The spinnaker is usually a triangular sail with an upper corner, a "halyard clew," which is raised by a system of pulleys and ropes. One problem with this sail is keeping the spinnaker's clew forward during hoisting, since during hoisting the sail is picking up the wind but is not taut enough to maintain its position. Consequently, the spinnaker does not assume its desired position until it is almost fully hoisted. Conversely, the spinnaker can fly aft behind the luff of the genoa or jib, affecting the boat's speed and the efficiency of the hoisting maneuver.

[0007] The invention, however, manages to keep the halyard clew connected to the forestay headstay until it reaches its upper end, disconnecting and leaving the halyard clew free until it reaches its final hoisting position.

[0008] Currently, there is no known solution to this problem that has structural and constitutive technical characteristics equal to or similar to those described in this specification.

[0009] DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is the creation of a sailing vessel accessory, especially for hoisting the spinnaker, symmetrical or asymmetrical, and other furling stern sails, which provides a notable innovation within its field of application in the current state of the art, the characterizing details that make it possible being conveniently included in the final claims that accompany this description.

[0010] The solution found is to connect the halyard clew to the forestay's clew so that it is guided through the clew. The clew is a cable that holds the mast or topmast from the bow to a higher point on the mast, so it is well separated from the mast at the bottom and connects to it at a high point on the mast. The genoas or jibs are attached to the forestay using a clew profile. The clew profile is a profile that runs the entire length of the forestay. It is generally an extruded plastic profile (it can be aluminum on cruising boats) with one or two rails. There are basically two clew systems for racing boats: one where the forestay is contained within this extrusion, and another where the extrusion hugs the forestay with a synthetic textile sleeve.

[0011] The fitting is a piece that attaches to the forestay headrope without the need for another guide line or halyard to guide it. Once in its final position, the fitting releases itself, so it doesn't affect the spinnaker's operation.

[0012] It can be applied, for example, to a symmetrical or asymmetrical spinnaker, but also to any furling sail such as staysails, code 0, jib top, fractional 0 and furling gennakers.

[0013] Specifically, a sailing boat accessory is intended for boats with a mast, a forestay, and a free-flying sail, such as a spinnaker. The accessory comprises a "C"-shaped body with a rope attached at one end to the body, usually through one or more holes in the body. The rope is attached to the sail's halyard clew. The body, in turn, is attached to the forestay headstay.

[0014] It's advisable for the free end, and if applicable, the rope attachment end, to be somewhat more flexible than the body's rigging. To achieve this, the body can have one less reinforcing rib at the free end, opposite the body-halyard connection.

[0015] Other ways of carrying out the invention are shown below. EXPLANATION OF THE FIGURES

[0016] To complete the description being made and in order to help better understand the characteristics of the invention, a section of drawings is presented where, for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, the following have been represented.

[0017] Figure 1 corresponds to a perspective view of an embodiment of the accessory.

[0018] Figure 2 shows a schematic side view of the halyard clew and the forestay with the accessory attached.

[0019] Figure 3 corresponds to a second schematic side view of the halyard clew and the forestay with the accessory and its complement attached.

[0020] PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION.

[0021] The embodiment shown in the figure is a piece with a “C” shaped body (1), which preferably has a reinforcing rib (2) to prevent it from deforming and opening. If the thickness of the body (1) is sufficient, the rib (2) is unnecessary. One or both ends of the body (1) have a hole (3) for the passage of a rope (4) (flexible connection or body-halyard connection element), which is fixed to the halyard or to the clew (5) of the sail to be hoisted, either directly, through the joining mechanism between the halyard and the clew. The fixing to the clew (5) can be done in different ways, generally taking advantage of the presence of the shackle, which can be metallic or made of rope, and the spinnaker halyard. Depending on the way it is joined, the rope (4) may need to be shorter or longer.

[0022] In use, the rope (4) is fixed to the clew (5) while the body (1 ) is placed around the headstay rope (7), and has an inner section similar to the outer section of this rope. When the spinnaker begins to hoist, the rope (4) is taut and keeps the clew (5) controlled with respect to the forestay. However, once the spinnaker is reaching the top end of the forestay, the body (1 ) is disconnected from the headstay rope (7). This disconnection is important because the headstay rope does not reach the same height as the clew (5) in its final position, so the rope (4) would slow down the progress of the latter. Thus, when disconnected from the sail, it can continue rising to its final position. In turn, the disconnection occurs exactly because of this difference in height, which causes the body (1) to rotate and become uncoupled when it deforms.To facilitate this release, the free end (11 ) of the body (1 ), opposite the body-halyard connection, is more flexible than the rest. Figure 1 shows how this flexibility has been achieved by making the body (1 ) thinner in the area of ​​the free end (11 ), as the rib (2) does not coincide with the rest of the body (1 ). In this figure, it is the rib (2) that has been extended, but it may be the body (1 ) that has been extended.

[0023] When the spinnaker is lowered, a user must reposition the accessory for its next use.

[0024] The accessory can be made of a low-friction, high-strength material, such as polytetrafluoroethylene or polyamides like nylon (registered trademark), it can also be made of ABS plastic, resin or 3D printing plastic.

[0025] The fitting may have lines of weakness or breakable, fuse-like elements that allow the fitting to be quickly disassembled. For example, the body (1) may be made of two parts joined by a rod of known strength. If the tension exceeds this strength, instead of damaging the rope or sail, the fitting breaks. It may also be two articulated parts with a connection that blocks rotation and releases when the predetermined tension is exceeded. For example, using springs or "clipping" connections or temporary deformation of a tab or other elastic element. In this case, it will be sufficient to reassemble the body (1) for reuse.

[0026] If the body is made in two parts, as described above, it is possible to place a thread between them so that they do not get lost when separated but remain joined. This way, only the fusible element needs to be changed, reassembling the accessory. The division between the parts can be close to the center of the body (1), to ensure that it always uncouples. It can also be close to the hole (3), so that the accessory remains attached to the headstall, but uncoupled from the sail.

[0027] In one embodiment, an accessory (6) can be arranged on the upper part of the forestay (7), in the shape of a wedge (61) such that it progressively increases the section of the forestay. When the body (1) rises on the forestay, it enters the wedge (61) which increases the section and forces the disconnection between the body (1) and the forestay (7). This accessory (6) can be placed at one height or another as desired by the user. An example of an accessory (6) is shown in Figure 3, which has the wedge (61) and a grip (62) for fixing it to the forestay.

[0028] The accessory (6) can be fixed to the stay or the headstay.

Claims

CLAIMS 1- Accessory for a sailing boat, of the type of boat that has a mast, a forestay that carries a forestay rope (7), at least one free-flying sail with its halyard clew (5), characterized in that it comprises a body (1) in a “C” shape, with a rope (4) attached at one end to the body (1) and associated with the halyard or the halyard clew (5) of the sail to be hoisted, the body (1) being coupled to the forestay rope (7). 2- Sailing boat accessory, according to claim 1, characterized in that the body (1) has less thickness at the free end (11), opposite the cable (4). 3- Sailing boat accessory, according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises an accessory (6) with a wedge (61) and a grip (62) that can be fixed to the forestay (7).

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