EP1622807A2

EP1622807A2 - Water craft with a sail

Info

Publication number: EP1622807A2
Application number: EP04742748A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Francois Tissier
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: SEF TOURAINE
Priority date: 2003-05-14
Filing date: 2004-05-14
Publication date: 2006-02-08
Also published as: US7234404B2; AU2004238601A2; WO2004101354A3; FR2854864B1; WO2004101354A2; AU2004238601A1; US20070056494A1; FR2854864A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a catamaran-type water craft comprising a frame (1) which is fixed on two bodies forming floats (2) and a sail (5) for wind-driven displacement when the floats are on a stretch of water, characterized in that said water craft comprises a central piloting station (6-8) whereby the pilot sits on a seat (7) of the piloting station, is provided with a tiller (8) which is located within arm's reach and which is used to control the orientation of steering rudders (3) respectively provided at the rear thereof with two floats (2), in addition to a cleat (37) for adjusting the useful length of a control element (36) for the orientation of the sail (5) in relation to the frame (1), passing via a return pulley (40) which is advantageously provided at the end of a swinging boom (29) fixed to the rear of the water craft beyond said floats. The steering rudders (3) are directed by the tractive effort of control cables (44) connecting the handles of the tiller (8) to a synchronising rod connected to the steering rudders.

Description

SAILING BOAT

The present invention aims at the design and the realization of a nautical sailing boat offering possibilities of use and conditions of security, comfort and pleasure that we do not know how to obtain by current boats. She is more particularly interested in such boats for coastal pleasure boating.

The practice of sailing on (traditional sailboats requires good technicality and good physical condition on the part of the navigators. On a windsurfing board, to sail the boat according to a determined trajectory requires to move with agility on the float, everything by controlling the position and orientation of the> sail by means of a kind of yard which it is agreed to call "wishbone". The user must have very good notions of balance.

With a more traditional boat with one or more hulls and with a non-tilting mast, the incidence of weight distribution depending on the position of the navigator (s) from front to rear (in the longitudinal direction of the boat) is less, but that of lateral movements remains at least as essential. By fighting through such displacements against the heel due to the action of the wind on the canvas, this is how the pilot at the helm, commanding the rudder and the mainsail, and the team member possibly present (who takes care jib when there is one) avoid capsizing.

Conversely, motor vehicles do not require comparable sporting qualities. They can be used comfortably, by a browser that. remains seated on a cockpit without having to move for safety. On the other hand, the presence of an engine causes many inconveniences for the user, as well as multiple disadvantages for the environment, in terms in particular of pollution of the atmosphere and noise pollution. Finally, nautical boats have the advantage over other sports and / or recreational vehicles, of being able to benefit from great freedom over large areas where the wind can be used to provide the driving force. We can think here, for example, of the sand yacht, which is piloted sitting in a cockpit where the controls are centralized, but which is designed to roll on the ground, in particular on the beaches. .

To meet the demands which are currently manifested in a particularly insistent manner in the field of nautical leisure, the present invention provides a boat with two longitudinal hulls forming parallel floats, which are joined by a frame supporting a central cockpit, comprising a sail. effective in exploiting the wind as a driving force, advantageously alone for ensuring the displacement of the boat when said hulls are on a body of water, characterized in that a pilot taking place on a seat of said cockpit has within reach of a handlebar by which it controls the orientation of the rudders provided at the rear respectively of each of the two shells, as well as a cleat for adjusting the useful length of a sheet for controlling the orientation of the sail relative to said chassis.

Preferably, this sheet passes over a deflection pulley provided at the end of a pole fixed to a bowsprit at the rear of the boat beyond said floats. According to preferred embodiments of the boat according to the invention, the sheet, which is guided in sliding by such a deflection pulley, thereby joins a point of listening to the sail which is fixed at the end of a yard now the sail stretched from a mast mounted on said frame around which said yard is rotatably mounted.

In a variant, the invention is expressed, in particularly advantageous embodiments, by the fact that the boat is controlled entirely from a central cockpit located between the two hulls, where the user is seated on a seat in front of manual control members which on the one hand determine variations in orientation, with respect to the longitudinal axis of the boat, rudder rudders respectively equipping each of the hulls, and which on the other hand more or less border the sail, by changing its orientation relative to said longitudinal axis.

Preferably, the user can also act by shifting his weight on said seat.

The invention further translates into secondary characteristics which are more particularly aimed at either controlling the rudder rudders, or that of the sail, or both in combination. Thus, in particular, the boat according to the invention advantageously comprises means for defining paths imposed on the listening means transmitting the command of the sail from the cockpit and / or on cables for transmitting rudder commands rudder from the same booth station, which run along fixed elements of the chassis between idler pulleys mounted on these fixed elements.

The sail orientation changes are made by adjusting the length of the sheet. This is carried out in a flexible cord as is usual. It is attached to a so-called fixed end to a point of listening to the sail which is maintained by a yard away from the mast supporting a vertical edge of the sail erected on a fixed mast foot located in the axis longitudinal of the boat. At an opposite end, said to be free, it is fixed at will, manually, on a blocking cleat which is available to a user in place at the cockpit in the same position where he has access to a rudder control member of rudder.

By distinction with what would be a real steering wheel, similar to that of a land automobile, it. it is advantageous, in accordance with the invention, to constitute the steering control means (which determine the orientation of the rudder rudders) in the form of a handlebar pivotally mounted at the end of a fixed stem of the cockpit, handlebar that the browser user can grasp in particular by two symmetrical handles, to make it not turn with the stem support at the end of which it is mounted, but to tilt it in a plane transverse to this axis. It will be noted here, however, that the two types of movement, one of rotation, the other of tilting, could also be provided in combination. However, this results in slightly more complex manufacturing conditions which it will generally be preferable to avoid.

The arrangement involving a handlebar which is defined here is not restrictive of the application variants of the invention. It nevertheless has the advantage of facilitating a convenient embodiment of the means of controlling the direction of the boat by action on the rudder rudders by means of cables or other cables attached to such a tilting handlebar. An advantageous torque is ensured in particular when it is provided that the end of such cables opposite to that which is directly fixed to a local pivot control rod specific to each rudder is attached to one end of the handlebar distant from its mounting point in the bracket constituting support shaft, therefore in particular at one or the other of two lateral handles of this handlebar. That is, such a control arrangement at _. handlebars increase the rudder control stroke.

Preferably, two such cables are provided in symmetrical arrangement from respectively each of the handlebars to respectively two ends of a movement coordination rod connecting two bars each ensuring the transformation of a command exerted in traction on a cable by pushing. the handle on which it is attached in a pivoting movement of the corresponding rudder rudder around its rotary mounting axis on the corresponding shell. Depending on the implementation variants of the invention, it may or may not be provided that the paths imposed on the cables intersect and thus each pass from one side to the other of the axis of symmetry of the boat. However, one of the advantages of steering control means constituted in the manner explained here for a handlebar lies in the fact that it is not necessary to organize for the cables a guide path involving a crossing between the two to allow the user installed in the cockpit to find β

instinctively the same manual control movements as if he were operating a bicycle handlebar, the same as those which are used on a conventional sailing boat rudder bar. It suffices in fact that the handlebars rotate in a plane such that when the user pushes in translation on the handlebar grip grasped by his left hand (therefore by pulling the other end of the handlebar with his left hand), it causes a modification heading to the right, and vice versa.

According to other advantageous features of the invention, the central cockpit, as it will be arranged in particular in the axis of the boat, in a space left free above the waterline between the two hulls of a catamaran type boat, includes a seat for the user so that the user can move back and forth. While having free access, without leaving its seat, to the control members which are placed in front of it, namely in particular a handlebar for controlling two rudder rudders, respectively mounted, at the rear of two hulls ensuring the buoyancy of the boat , and a cleat for blocking the free end of a traction sheet of the sail, the user can thus move in the longitudinal direction, which allows him to act on the position of the center of gravity of the boat. In this sense, a particularly comfortable seat can be made of a canvas stretched like a hammock between two cross members of the chassis connecting the two shells. In modes of real isation preferred of the invention, the sjège can be designed to ^"that- the util isateur can also move his weight in the transverse direction from one edge to the other of the axis of symmetry the boat, not just in the longitudinal direction.

According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the hulls, or floats, each advantageously have a form of planing hull in cross section. This contributes, for increased speed capacity; to ensure navigation practically without heel, in any case without risk of capsizing even when the user piloting the boat would refuse to lean against heel. ,. At the sail level, it may be especially desirable, in accordance with another _. characteristic of the invention, to guide the sheet making it possible to act in traction on the sail on the end of a pole fixed to the bowsprit at the rear, of the cockpit and protruding at the rear at- beyond the floats. This arrangement is advantageously combined with those which advantageously consist in giving the sail a curved shape at its lower edge, so as to leave free the space occupied by the pilot in place on his seat, in case the sail suddenly passes from from one edge to the other, from port to starboard or vice versa, because we then gain in length of canvas what we lose in height. In addition and for the same purpose, the tack point of the sheet on the bowsprit is advantageously offset in height compared to the position it would have if it were located at the level of the hulls.

In particular when the sail is scalloped at its lower edge, as has just been explained, it is advantageous to provide a yard ensuring the tension of the sail in the longitudinal direction which has' a hoop shape like that of a wishbone of windsurfing, leaving the sail free to inflate under the action of the wind better than a yard would hold the sail over its entire length. Fur ther, the yard preferably extends in a substantially horizontal direction from a connection point ^• rotatable with the mast retaining the leading edge of the web over its entire height which is located vertically above the floats and. cockpit, like the aft end of the bowsprit.

.A bowsprit of the sail protruding from the rear of the hulls as just specified has in general the advantage of facilitating the implementation of the invention in boats capable of a planing effect. on the water. Indeed this arrangement is advantageously combined with an embodiment of the hulls in the form of short floats, therefore easily capable of operating in planing floats, this in cooperation with their cross section. It also combines advantageously with an optimal choice of the surface of the sail, which is then increased in length. In addition, as the sail is preferably dimensioned with a curvature to allow a passage for the head of the user during a jibe or tack, an offset in height of the bowsprit added to the carry in length allows to have a yard and, therefore, a sail long enough to recover in length the loss of surface of the sail in width avoiding having to increase the length of the floats of the boat.

According to preferred embodiments of the invention, the control handle as mentioned above is pivotally mounted at the end of a bracket which is fixed on a front cross member of the chassis and which is biased towards the . cockpit in the longitudinal plane of the boat which is arranged vertically with respect to the waterline defined by the hulls, assumed to be horizontal, and the listening device is blocked on request in a cleat which is placed within easy reach of the pilot installed in the cockpit, and advantageously fixed on this stem, in front of the pilot. The cleat is advantageously, as it is in itself conventional, a cleat cleat which blocks the sheet between two toothed rollers.

Among the characteristics of the invention which relate more to the sail itself, one will emphasize that which consists in giving the lower edge of the sail a curved shape concave downwards so as to release a space corresponding to the height d '' a pilot seated in the cockpit at head level. This means that the movements of the sail passing from one side of the boat to the other, depending on the course followed and the wind direction, do not interfere with the pilot.

It is also advantageous to configure the sail, in the ratio between its length at rest along the longitudinal axis of the boat (which will be relatively wide) and its height along the mast (which will be relatively short), so that the center of the vélique thrust is rather low on the waterline, in connection also with the overall width of the boat (its two catamaran hulls included) and with the position of the mast foot on the longitudinal axis, to limit the possibilities of lodging the boat sufficiently to avoid any risk of capsizing, even in the case where the boat is entrusted to a user without any δ

experience.

In accordance with preferred embodiments of the invention, the mast. is fixed on a frame made between two hulls forming floats similar to those of a catamaran with the possibility of pivoting around a substantially vertical axis, and it is maintained in a substantially vertical position by means of guy wires, preferably at least at number of three, which advantageously consist of rigid rods fixed obliquely to the chassis. According to yet another characteristic of the invention, these rods are fixed to a ring in which the mast can rotate, and the ring is preferably arranged below the center of thrust. Furthermore, a mast foot made with the possibility of tilting the mast when it is not retained by such shrouds facilitates mounting of the sail before navigation.

The invention will now be more fully described in the context of preferred characteristics and their advantages, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5 in which:

- Figure 1 shows a general view of the boat according to the invention; - | a Figure 2 illustrates a top view of one of the floats;

- Figures 3a to 3c show sectional views of the float of Figure 2, respectively along the planes A-A, B-B and C-C;

- Figure 4 shows a general view of the frame of the boat, the seat being removed so as to show the guiding devices of the boat;

- And Figure 5 shows a view of the rear of the boat.

The boat will be described in its position of use on a body of water, considering that it moves with its longitudinal axis directed towards a heading.

It comprises a frame 1 formed of rigid tubes connected to each other. These tubes are made of a light material which has an elastic deformation capacity. So the elements of the chassis 1 have the capacity to absorb the forces exerted on the boat, on the one hand, by impacts on the water and, on the other hand, by gusts of wind. | l This results in better comfort for the user. Materials which can be used according to the invention are, for example, aluminum or fiber-reinforced polymer materials such as carbon fibers.

The frame 1 has a longitudinal vertical plane of symmetry passing through the longitudinal axis of the boat ^" .

It supports two longitudinal hulls in the form of two parallel floats 2, by which the boat rests on the water, which are spaced apart from each other on either side of the plane of symmetry of the chassis 1, and which are symmetrical to each other with respect to this plane. The floats have a wide and shallow shape corresponding to that of a planing hull having the ability to slide on the surface of the water. Thus, when the boat advances with a certain speed, the floats are lifted, until they can never be immersed in water q e by a few millimeters.

Each of the floats 2 carries at its rear end, on its underside, that is to say that which is immersed in water, a steerable rudder 3. The two rudders 3 are governed jointly to steer the boat.

The chassis 1 also supports a mast 4 carrying a sail 5 which ensures the motor skills of the boat and using the force of the wind.

Finally, it supports a cockpit located centrally in the boat, between the two floats 2, and symmetrical with respect to the plane of symmetry of the chassis 1. This post has a bottom wall 6 ,. a seat 7 allowing the seat to follow in the longitudinal direction of the boat, and a handlebar 8 at the level of which the commands for steering the boat by the rudders 3 and those for the orientation of the sail are combined. The chassis 1 comprises two main beams transverse to the longitudinal direction of the boat, located in a plane parallel to the water body which defines the base plane of the chassis, and parallel to each other, namely a beam front 9 and a rear beam 10. At the lateral ends of each of these beams, or crosspieces, on its underside, there are float fixing studs 2, said studs 1 1 (FIG. 5) being able to be flexible or rigid. The floats are fixed to the beams 9 and 1 0 in a position offset towards the rear, so that their front part extends far beyond the front of the chassis 1.

The transverse beams 9 and 10 are interconnected by two longitudinal beams 12, located in the same plane, which are in fact oriented in an oblique direction, symmetrically on either side of the plane of symmetry of the chassis 1, so as to form a rigid trapeze between the two floats 2. The large base of the trapeze is located towards the front of the boat, as shown in. Figure 1.

The oblique beams 12 are interconnected by a bar 13, which constitutes a secondary cross member, arranged parallel to the beams 9 and 1 0 substantially equidistant between these beams. Its role is not so much to reinforce the rigid structure of the chassis as to constitute, if necessary, an element for attaching a seat _t on which the pilot takes place and / or an element on which he can bear. the feet.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the bottom wall 6 occupies the entire surface of the trapezium formed. It is also conceivable in the context of the invention to have a bottom wall only in certain parts of the trapezoid, for example a canvas fixed between the rear beam 10 and the cross member 1 3 in particular in the part where the pilot will be placed. This bottom wall may in particular be entirely constituted by a canvas stretched by ties attaching it to the elements of the chassis. It can also be made up at the front by a safety net fixed on the crosspiece

13 which prevents the pilot's legs from going into the water and which protects the various rudder control cables and the sheet, and at the rear, at seat 7, that is to say in the part where the pilot will take support, by a rigid wall.

In the particular case of the figures, the seat 7 essentially consists of a flexible fabric 14 which is hooked at the front on the cross-member 13 and suspended at the rear from a hoop 15 secured at its base to the rear beam 10 and s 'elevating above it, so that the fabric 14 forms for the user a hammock with variable seat. The user can thus place himself in a sitting position on the canvas 14, his feet resting on the bottom wall 6, having his center of gravity coincident with that of the boat, which gives better stability to the assembly. During navigation, the pilot can shift his weight at will longitudinally in seat 7, in particular to balance the center of gravity of the boat from front to back according to the external conditions, in order to control the attitude of the boat and minimize the movement of heeling and / or charging. It can brace itself by taking support by the feet on the beam, before 9 or on the intermediate cross member 13.

The handlebar 8 is positioned in front of the seat 7, in height relative to the base plane of the chassis 1. It has a slightly curved shape, curved towards the rear, which brings its two side handles closer to the user. It is mounted at the end of a bracket 16 situated in the plane of symmetry of the chassis, taking its base on the front beam 9 and rising towards the rear with respect to this beam. The bracket 16 is supported substantially in its middle by two rigid supports 17 (FIG. 4) fixed on the cross-member 13 and forming. With this latter qn isosceles triangle symmetrical with respect to the plane of symmetry of the chassis. The handlebar 8 is pivotally mounted about an axis which is transverse to it and which is substantially perpendicular to the stem 1.6 so as to be able to tilt around this axis while remaining in a plane containing the axis of the stem 16, and which is therefore inclined more towards the horizontal than towards the vertical.

In preferred embodiments of the invention, the bracket 16 is adjustable in length so that it can be easily adapted to different user morphologies. So, when the pilot is in a sitting position on the seat 7, he easily reaches the handlebars 8 semi-stretched arms. By pulling pu by pushing on the handles at the ends of the _. handlebars it operates in an oblique plane containing the axis of the stem 16 without the handlebars coming into contact with its legs. Such an embodiment of the device for controlling the direction of advance of the boat is not, however, limiting of the invention. Strictly speaking, it could be envisaged in particular for the stem to be substantially vertical, in which case a handlebar mounted to rotate on the same axis of the stem so as to pivot while remaining in a plane perpendicular to the stem would similarly enable the rotation of the rudders by pulling or pushing maneuvers on the handles, without risking hitting the pilot's legs. But we would then lose the advantages that the inclined stem brings, when it offers a protective guide path for cables and other flexible elements for transmitting movement towards the rear of the boat passing along the rigid elements of the chassis.

The mast 4 is fixed, by its mast foot 1 9 (see FIG. 5), on a flexible articulation 20, involving for example a double cone of elastomer material in the form of a diabolo, as it is widely known in the field of boards sailing. This articulated link is itself mounted on a base. 21 fixed on the upper face of the front beam 9, in the center of the latter. The mast 4 can therefore pivot around the axis of its mast base 19. Furthermore, this flexible connection 20 makes it possible to at least partially absorb the forces undergone by the mast 4.

The mast 4, slightly flexible, is held in the vertical position, in its lower part, by guy wires constituted by rigid rods 22 which are hung on the oblique beams 12 at one of their ends, and to a ring 23 at their other end. , by joints 24. The ring 23 is arranged around the mast 4 so that the mast and the luff sleeve of the sail 5 can pivot freely in the ring 23. The sail 5 has, for this purpose, a suitable slot in the vicinity of its sheath. The mechanical resistance of the rods 22 makes it possible to withstand the forces in compression exerted on the mast 4, and ensuring that the mast works only in bending, and not in compression between the mast foot 19 and the fixing ring 23.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the shrouds are four in number, and placed at the rate of two rods 22 per oblique beam 12. However, this number is not restrictive of the invention, and it is possible to just as well use a different number of rods (at least three to secure the mast in all directions), as long as they keep the mast 4 upright.

The sail 5 is held on the mast 4 by its luff sleeve, and it extends towards the rear of the boat from the mast 4. This sleeve can be interrupted at the level of the attachment of the yard 26, which is rotatable on the mast, above the ring 23.

The lower edge 25 of the sail 5 is curved concave downwards, so that when the pilot is in a seated or squatting position on the seat 7, the sail 5 passes over him without touching it. Thus, even when the sail 5 passes from one tack to another during navigation, the pilot is not likely to be struck by it. So he doesn't have to worry about it, and he can navigate quietly without needing to balance himself, focusing only on the controls of the boat.

(Your sail is also dimensioned, in connection with the width ho s all of the boat, which is defined by the distance between the outer edges of the floats 2 at the level of the water line, so as to obtain a center of Vélique thrust which is the lowest possible. This minimizes the heeling movement of the boat. In order to obtain this result, the sail 5 preferably has a shape as wide as possible, with a bottom edge as low as possible, within the limits of the constraints which it is intended to respect so that the sail always passes over the head of the pilot seated on the seat 7. According to criteria which are in themselves well known, the surface of the sail 5 is also related to the overall width, so as to obtain the better compromise between power of the sail and reduction of the heel, as well as the overall weight of the boat.

The ring 23 for fixing the guy wires 22 to the mast 4 is located well below the center of the thrust, so as to further reduce the heeling movement of the boat. Indeed, the part of the mast 4 at the level of the vélique thrust center has a bending capacity which makes it possible to release the air at the level of the sail.

The sail 5 is surrounded on one side, on its widest part, by a rigid yard 26, in the form of a half-arch like a windsurfing boom. This yard 26 is fixed at one front end to the mast 4 by a ring 27, located just above the fixing ring 23 of the shrouds 22. It is connected by its rear end to the rear end of the sail 5 by a end of rope 28. The ring 27 surrounds the luff sheath of the sail 5 and clamps it on the mast 4 so that the mast 4, the sail 5 and the yard 26 form a unitary assembly which can pivot around the mast base axis 19.

The yard 26 plays its role in controlling the orientation of the sail in connection with a rear bowsprit 29 which protrudes far behind the floats 2, according to a mechanism which will be described in detail later in the description. This mode of. realization of the yard is not limitative of the invention. One can in particular consider using a yard in the form of a double arch entirely surrounding the sail passing on each side.

The shape of the floats 2 is shown in more detail in Figures 2 and 3a to 3c. Figures 3a, 3b and 3c show a sectional view respectively of. the rear, central and front part of the float.

Each float 2 has a so-called planing hull. Its inner face to the boat 30 is substantially rectilinear, and its outer face 31 is convex. Its lower face 32 has a shape which is substantially straight _. the back of the boat, which is concave in the central part of the float and in its part before. ^' The concavity is maximum in the central part, and it decreases more or less progressively from this part towards the rear of the float, and possibly also towards the front. This characteristic advantageously makes it possible to increase the lift at the front of the floats, by creating an air cushion between the body of water and the float in the space freed by the concavity. This avoids a movement of charging the floats.

In addition, the outline 33 of the float has, in its lower part, a generally substantially rectangular shape, ^" with almost straight lines and sharp angles and as straight as possible. This promotes the setting of edges in the water, and allows going upwind avoiding the drifting effect. This shape of the contour also helps to increase the lift of the floats, especially at the front and rear of the floats.

In the preferred embodiment shown in the figures, the front part of each float 2 has the ^" shape of a spatu | e 34, as illustrated in FIG. 3c. This increases the lift in front of the floats. tip is made to be as taut as possible, in order to reduce friction with water and improve speed performance of the boat In preferred embodiments of the invention, the upper front face 35 of the float is slightly inclined downwards, so as to reduce the volume and the weight of the floats.

Each rudder 3 is fixed to the corresponding float 2 on its rear part (FIG. 5), behind the rear beam 10, so that it is mobile in rotation on a substantially vertical axis 50 which crosses the float to reach the upper side of it. It is also possible, within the framework of the invention, to equip the floats with fins (not shown in the figures), which can be fixed or pivoting, and in particular positioned at the front, in order to improve the anti-drift effect without diminishing. the lift of the floats.

The mode of control of the orientation of the sail and the orientation of the rudders from the cockpit will be now described in more detail with reference to Figures 4 and 5.

The bowsprit 29 is fixed to the center of the rear beam 10, and it rises towards the rear from this beam. It is fixed to the seat arch 15 by a fixing ring 42. Thus, on the one hand s the arch 1 5 supports the bowsprit 29 about at mid-height, and on the other hand outside 29, by constituting a third fulcrum for the arch 15, in addition to its points of / attachment to the rear beam 1 0, reinforces the stability of the latter.

A sheet 36 (figure 4) runs from the cockpit to

, ιo the rear end of the bowsprit 29, where it is guided sliding before joining, the. listening point at the end of the yard. It is held on the stem 16 of the handlebar 8 by means of a cleat, for example a cleat cleat 37, making it possible to adjust its useful length. Of. cleat coincegr 37, sheet 36 runs along the gallows

15 before being successively returned by a return pulley 38 fixed to the front beam 9, then by a return pulley 39 fixed to the rear beam 10. In the case illustrated in the figure, it passes between these two pulleys in the plane of symmetry of the boat, under the floor canvas 6 (Figure 1), but it would often be more advantageous to

20 make it follow a path along one of the longitudinal beams. 12:

Sheet 36 then runs along bowsprit 29, and is

_. returned by a pulley 40, which is fixed to rotation on the end of the bowsprit 29, then by a pulley 41, which is fixed to rotation on the rear end of yard 26.

25 _. Thus, to orient the sail 5, it suffices for the pilot seated on the seat 7 to release the sheet 36 from the cleat cleat 37, then to pull on it or else to release it, to give more or less inclination to the yard 26, and therefore more or less border the sail 5, depending on the wind direction and the speed followed. When listening 36 is

30 pulled to the maximum, the yard 26 and the sail 5 are placed in the longitudinal direction of the boat, while, when released, this assembly is positioned at a certain angle relative to this direction, which angle is more or less important depending on the listening length 36 released. Once the desired position

35 reached, the user immobilizes the sheet 36 again in the cleat jammer 37; it is then in cruising navigation position.

This embodiment advantageously allows | a traction on the sail 5, by the sheet 36 connecting it to the yard 26, is always exerted perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the mast 4. This traction therefore does not cause deformation of the profile of the sail 5, and better performance is obtained in terms of speed of the boat.

The bowsprit 29 is made of a material - of the same type as that forming the elements of the chassis 1, that is to say that it is rigid while having a slight capacity for elastic deformation. This characteristic allows it to collect part of the stresses undergone by the sail 5, before transmitting them to the chassis 1 of the boat to ensure the. propulsion of the latter. This relative flexibility promotes flat navigation of the boat, while ensuring that a speed. relatively high displacement can be achieved.

The handlebar 8 is mounted in the middle on the stem 16, by an articulation 43 (FIG. 4), so that it can pivot around an axis substantially perpendicular to the stem 16. It is therefore possible to pull or push one of its ends in conditions where it remains in a plane containing the axis of the stem 16.

For the transmission of direction commands a cable 44 is fixed to each end of the handlebar 8 on each of its handles. Each of the cables 44 is returned by a return pulley 45 fixed to the front beam 9, to a return pulley 46 fixed to the rear beam 10. At the pulleys 46, each of the two cables 44 is directed along the rear beam 10, towards one or the other of the floats 2 respectively. Until then the two cables follow substantially the same path as the sheet 36. This means that after having lengthened the bracket 16, it may be desirable for them to run alongside other elements of the rigid chassis, therefore in particular the symmetrical longitudinal members. 12..

A rod 47 (fig 5) is located behind the rear beam 10, parallel to it and in front of the axes of rotation 50 of the rudders 3 on their respective hulls. It ensures coordination between the two safrabs. Each of its lateral ends is positioned above a float 2, substantially on the center line thereof. The cables 44 are each fixed to one end of the rod 47. To each of. its ends, the rod 47 is connected, by a hinge 48, to a rudder bar 49 which is transverse to it and which extends towards the rear of the boat. The rudder bars 49 can pivot freely on the articulation 48. At their opposite end, they are fixed ¹ each to the axis 50 of a rudder 3, in order to drive it in rotation.

When the pilot wishes to turn the boat, for example to the right, it suffices to pivot the handlebar 8 by pulling it towards him by his right hand and / or by pushing it on the other side (on the other handle) with his left hand. There is then traction on the cable 44 in operation on the side .to the right of the axis of symmetry of the boat, which is fixed to the right end of the handlebar. At the rear pulley 46, this cable then exerts traction on the right end of the rod 47. As the traction is exerted there by the cable in a substantially transverse direction along the rear beam of the chassis, it causes a translational movement on itself of the rod to the left. In its • displacement the rod 47 acts on the two bars linked to the rudders of gq, urvemai | and, by pulling on one and pushing on the other, it exerts a torque which makes them both rotate in the same direction around their respective mounting axes. In the case under consideration, the rotational movement of the rudder axes 50 induces the simultaneous pivoting of the two rudders 3 to the right with respect to the axis of symmetry and the boat then turns to the right. The pilot therefore performs a movement comparable to that of a cyclist who pushes his handlebars to the opposite side where he wants to turn. A turn to the left is negotiated by the reverse maneuver.

Thus, the boat according to the invention is quite simple and comfortable to use, since the pilot sits on the seat 7, even semi-standing on the bottom wall 6, in a central position in the boat, and qu '' it has all the controls of the boat, namely the control of the orientation of the sail by the sheet 36 fixed under the handlebars 8 to allow the - propulsion of the boat, the control of the orientation of the rudders by the handlebars 8 for allow the direction of the boat to be adjusted, plus optionally the control of the movement of the center of gravity of the boat by the longitudinal movement of its own body on the seat. And during these trips, the pilot remains permanently in control of the controls.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the modes of implementation which have been specifically described in the course of the examples above. On the contrary, it extends to any variant passing through equivalent means.

In particular, the articulation of the mast foot 19 on the chassis 1 can be such that it makes it possible to tilt the mast towards the horizontal, in particular in the longitudinal direction of the boat. This allows the mast to be placed in a horizontal position for mounting the sail when preparing the boat before launching it. The luff sheath of the sail being slid over the mast, the latter is then put into operational position by fixing the ends of the rods 22 on the ring 23 which is threaded in a slot in the sail made near

,, his luff sheath. One can also, for example, provide a ball joint for the joint 24 to obtain the inclination of the mast 4. ~ In this case, one can also provide that the two rear rods 22 for fixing the mast which are fixed on the oblique beams 12 are mounted to cover them, which makes it possible to adjust the inclination of the mast 4. The inclination is adjusted when the rods are attached to the oblique beams 12. "

Claims

1. Sailing boat comprising a frame (1) joining two hulls forming floats (2) and a sail (5) for displacement by the wind when the floats are on a body of water, characterized in that it comprises a station central piloting (6-8) where a pilot user can remain seated and have control members of said sail (5) at hand, as well as steering control members which determine variations in orientation, relative to the longitudinal axis of said boat, rudder rudders (3) respectively fitted to each of said hulls (2), and in that said direction control members comprise a handlebar (8) which is pivotally attached to the end of a bracket (16) in a plane containing the axis of said bracket and which has two symmetrical lateral handles for the traction drive of two direction control cables (44) which are respectively fixed to their other end mite at two symmetrical lateral ends of a coordination rod (47) rigidly connecting two bars which are respectively integral in rotation with the two rudders (3), said cables being required to follow a guide path relative to the elements of said chassis which joins said ends of the rod following a transverse path to control a. displacement of said rod by translation on itself.

2. Sailing craft comprising a frame (1) joining two hulls forming floats (2) and a sail (5) for displacement by the wind when the floats are on a body of water, said sail being linked all along from its front edge to a mast carried by said chassis, characterized in that it comprises a central cockpit (6-8) from which a pilot taking place on a seat (7) of said station has within reach of means for controlling the orientation of the steering rudders provided at the rear respectively of each of the two floats (2), as well as a cleat for adjusting the useful length of a sheet for controlling the orientation of the sail with respect to said chassis which is slidingly guided on a deflection pulley provided at the end of a pole fixed to a bowsprit at the rear of the boat beyond said floats, to reach a fixed listening point of the sail located at the end of a yard (26) of longitudinal tension of the sail which is rotatably mounted around the mast.

3. A boat according to claim 3, wherein said steering control means are made according to claim 1.

4. Boat according to claim 2 or 3 ,. in which said hulls are made to operate in planing hulls and in which said bowsprit fixed to the rear of the chassis (1) projects beyond the rear of the two hulls to a tack point of the sheet (26 ) for controlling the sail which is also offset in height with respect to said chassis.

5. A boat according to claim 5, wherein further said sail is curved at its lower edge so as to leave free a space preventing the passage of the sail from one edge to the other of the boat annoys the user. installed in the cockpit.

6. Boat according to any one of the preceding claims, in which said sail (5) is held stretched longitudinally by a yard (26) at a distance from a mast (4). support of said sail (5) which is erected on a fixed mast foot (19) located in the longitudinal axis of said boat, said mast being held in its lower part in a substantially vertical position by guy wires ( 22), preferably three in number, which consist of rigid rods fixed obliquely to said frame (1), said rods (22) preferably being fixed to a ring (23) in which said mast (4) can rotate, said ring (23) being advantageously disposed below the center of thrust.

7. A boat according to claim 5 or 6, in which said sail (5) is configured, in the ratio between its length at rest along the longitudinal axis of said boat and its height along said mast (4), so that the center of thrust, vélique is low enough on the waterline defined by said hulls (2) to limit the possibilities of heeling of the boat enough to avoid any risk of capsizing, with in particular said length being relatively wide and said height being relatively short.

8. Boat according to any one of the preceding claims, in which said central cockpit is arranged in the axis of said boat, in a space left free above the waterline between said two hulls (2), and in that it comprises a seat seat (7) of the user designed in such a way that the latter can shift his weight back and forth, if necessary a ssi from one side to the other of the ambarcation.

9. ~ Sailing craft comprising a frame (1) joining two hulls forming floats (2) and a sail (5) for displacement by the wind when the floats are on a plane of water, characterized in that '' it includes a central cockpit (6-8) where a pilot user can remain seated and have at hand a part of a sheet (36) adjustable in length to modify the orientation of the sail ( 5), on the other hand, direction control means which determine variations in orientation, relative to the longitudinal axis of said boat, of rudder rudders) (3) respectively equipping each of the hulls (2), this. that said sheet (36) runs from a blocking tab (37) from its end free from the cockpit to one. listening point of said sail (5) being returned successively by a pulley (38) fixed to a front beam (9) of said chassis (1) and by a pulley (39) fixed to a rear beam (10) of said chassis , and the steering control means comprise cables (44) which are each fixed to one end of a steering rod (47) oriented transversely to the boat and connected by articulation (48) at each of its ends to a rudder bar of one of the floats, said cables each being returned by a pulley (45) fixed to said front beam (9) of the chassis and by a pulley (46) fixed to its rear beam (10).

10. A boat according to claim 9, characterized in that it also meets one and / or the other of the characteristics which are the subject of claims 3 to 9.