WO2016123639A2

WO2016123639A2 - Sailing watercraft

Info

Publication number: WO2016123639A2
Application number: PCT/ZA2016/000001
Authority: WO
Inventors: Norman Cyril Rex BULLOCK
Original assignee: Bullock Norman Cyril Rex
Priority date: 2015-01-28
Filing date: 2016-01-13
Publication date: 2016-08-04
Also published as: WO2016123639A3

Abstract

A sailing vvatercraft includes a hull, a mast extending from the hull, a starboard outrigger extending from the hull, a port outrigger extending from the hull first and second hull foils extending from the hull and spaced from each other along the axis of the hull, an outrigger foil extending from each of the starboard and port outriggers, and means for varying the inclination or shape of each outrigger foil, in use, to vary the lift applied by the outrigger foils. In essence, the sailing trimaran includes foils on: (I) two outriggers, (ii) the boat hull; and (iii) the boat stern.

Description

SAILING ATERCRAFT

BACKGROUND

The present invention reistes to a sailing waiercrafi with foils. More particularly, the present invention relates to a sailing trimaran with foils on: (i) two outriggers, (li) the boat hull; and (iii) the boat stern .

Sailing hydrofoil borne boats have been developed and in use for several decades, mainiy in Dinghy design for recreation, allowing for the achievement of much faster speeds than conventional h ull-borne sailboats.

Recent innovation has been the use of hydrofoils in the design of about 70 foot length catamaran sailboats for the prestigious America Cup annua! sailboat regatta sailed with average speeds of around 40 knots powered by very tali "hitech" sails in order to achieve their high speeds. With conventional knowledge and design the fail sails need relatively big crews to control the heeling moment generated by the sails. The most skilled skipper / crew combination Is needed to win the race, and the large crew detracts from the skippers' individual skills by having to direct many crew members simultaneously. Sailing boats with foils are known. For example, the RAVE Hydrofoil is a trimaran with a set of three foils - one foil on each of the outriggers and one foil on the stern of the boat. The RAVE trimaran does not include a foil aligned with the axis of the mast.

It is also known for powerboats to include a pair of foils spaced along the hull - one located near the stern and one located just rear of the bow. it is also known for foils on waiercrafi to include means to change their angle of attack, and consequently the lift provided thereby. it is an object of the present invention to provide a sailing boat with a foil on the hull and wherein foils on outriggers may be used to counteract the affect of wind on the sail a nd thereby control heeling of the boat by the skipper. According to a preferred embodiment of the present inventicn, there is provided a sailing watercrafi that includes: a hull: a mast extending from the hull; a starboard outrigger extending from the ull; a port outrigger extending from the huii; first and second huii foils extending from the huii and spaced from each other along the axis of the hull; an outrigger foii extending from each of the starboard and port outriggers; and means for varying the inclination or shape of each outrigger foii, in use, to vary the iift applied by the outrigger foils.

Preferabiv, the means for varying the inclination or shape of each outrigger foii varies the angle of attack of each outrigger foil between: (i) a first position in which the outrigger foil applies s positive iift to the outrigger from which It extends; and (li) a second position in which the outrigger foil applied a negative lift to the outrigger from which if extends.

Typically, the first huii foii is aligned substantially with the axis of the mast.

The watercrafi may further include s keel on which the first hull foil is iocated. Generally, the sailing watercraft further includes a rudder. Preferably, the second hull foii extends from the rudder.

Typically, the sailing watercraft further includes a sail secured to the mast. Optionally, each ouirigger includes a buoyant element.

Preferabiy, each outrigger foil is hingedly attached to its corresponding outrigger. Typically, the first hull foil is larger than the second hull foil and the outrigger foils. Generally, the hull includes a cockpit.

Preferabiy, the Inclination means may, in use, be controlled by a skipper located in the cockpit.

Typically, the sailing watercraft further includes a control column wherein the control for the inclination means is located.

Generally, the first hull foil, in use, provides a fulcrum for the outrigger foils to counteract the heelina moment of the sail t rouah the mast

Preferabiy, In use, one of the outrigger foils is inclined to provide positive lift to its corresponding outrigger and the other of the outrigger foils is inclined to provide negative lift to Its corresponding outrigger.

Typically, the inclination means also varies the inclination of the first and second hull foils. Optionally, the inclination means also changes the cross-sectional shape of the outrigger foils.

BRI EF DESCRIPTION O F THE DRAWI NGS

The invention wilt now be described in more detail , by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which :

Figure 1 Is a perspective view of a sailing watercraft according a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side view of the sailing watercraft in Figure 1 ; Is a front view of the sailing watercraft in Figure 1 ; is a side view of the sailing watercraft in Figure 1 showing : (1) a foii on a port outrigger, with the foil in a first position and (ii) a foii on a starboard outrigger, with the foil in a second position; and is a side view of the sailing watercraft in Figure 1 showing: (i) a foii on a port outrigger, with the foil in a second position; and (ii) a foii on a starboard outrigger, with the foil in a first position.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference to Figures 1 to 5 of the drawings, a sailing watercraft 10 in the form of a trimaran sailing boat includes a hull 12, a starboard outrigger 14 extending from the starboard side of the hu!i 12, a port outrigger 16 extending from the port side of the hull 12, first and second hull foils 18 and 20 and an outrigger foil 22 extending from each outrigger 14 and 16.

The hull 12 is a conventional elongate hull from which extends a mast 24 to which a sail 26 is, in use, attached. A rudder 28 is located at the stern of the hull 12. And, a cockpit 30 Is sunk into the huii 12. In use, the skipper (not shown) controls steering of the sailing boat 10 / turn of the rudder 28 from the cockpit.

Blades 31 space the hull foils 18 and 20 from the hull 12 and the outrigger foils 22 from the outriggers 14 and 16. The biade 31 extending from the huii 12 could comprise a keel.

The first huii foil 18 extends from the operative bottom of the hull 12 (optionally, from the keei), and is substantially aligned with the axis of the mast 24 (i.e. the centre o? the first huii foil 18 is located within 100 centimetres of the axis of the mast 24). Whereas, the second hull foii 20 extends from the operative bottom end of the rudder 28. it will be appreciated that the hull foils 8 and 20 are spaced from each other along the axis of the hull 12. With reference to Figure 3, the first huii foii 18 is larger than the second hull foil 20 and the outrigger foils 22, and, In use, provides the majority of positive lift to the sailing boat 10. Each outrigger 14 and 16 includes a buoyant element 32 distal the huii 12.

Each outrigger foil 22 is hlngedly connected to its corresponding outrigger 14 or 16 to permit the outrigger foii 22 to tilt. In use, such tilting of the outrigger foils 22 varies their angle of attack through the water. Each outrigger foil 22 Is movable between: (i) a first position (shown in Figure 4) in which the outrigger foil 22, in use, applies a positive lift to the outrigger 14 or 16 from which it extends; and (ii) a second position (shown in Figure 5) in which the outrigger foii 22, in use applies a negative lift to the outrigger 14 or 16 from which It extends, in use, one of the outrigger foils 22 may be inclined to provide positive lift to its corresponding outrigger 14 or 16 while the other of the outrigger foils 22 is simultaneously inclined to provide negative lift to its corresponding outrigger 14 or 16.

Tilting of each outrigger foii 22 Is controlled by inclination means 34. The inclination means could comprise a push rod, servo motors, actuators, or the like. Optionai!y, the first antilor second hull foils 18 and 20 may also be hlngedly connected to facilitate tilting of the hull foils 18 and/or 20 (via inclination means) relative to the hull 12 / blades 31 / rudder 28 to which they are connected.

The inclination means 34 is controlled by the skipper from the cockpit 30. Preferably, the control for the inclination means 34 is located on a column accessible by the skipper from the cockpit 30, and, the control is conventionally linked to the inclination means 34 by- cables, hydraulics or electronic means. Although the control for the Inclination means 34 has been described as being located on the column, it will be appreciated that such control could alternatively comprise pedals or other control systems as are conventionally used in aircraft (e.g. a joystick).

Optionally, apart from tilting the foils 18, 20 and 22, the Inclination means 34 may also change the cross sectional shape of the foils 18, 20 and 22. Furthermore, the foils 18, 20 and 22 may in cross-section be in the shape of an aerofoil. in use, the first hull foil 16 provides the majority of positive lift to the sailing boat 0. As the sail 26 is exposed to wind, a heeling moment is generated, encouraging the sailing boat TO to roil. To counteract the heeling moment, the skipper adjusts the tilt of the windward outrigger foil 22 sc as to generate s negative lift on the windward outrigger 14 or 16, whereas the leeward outrigger foii 22 is tilted so as to generate a positive lift on the leeward outrigger 14 or 16. The negative and positive lift applied to the outriggers 14 and 16 counteract the heeling moment generated by the wind on the sail 26 and thereby mitigate roiling of the sailing boat 10. it wiii also be appreciated that the first hull foil 18 provides a fulcrum for the outrigger foils 22 to counteract the heeling moment of the sail 26 through the mast 24.

By using the outrigger foils 22 to counteract the heeling moment, the sailing boat 10 is less reliant on the weight of crew (moving from side to side) to counteract leaning of the sailing beat 10. As such, the sailing boat 10 according to the present invention may use larger sails 26, while requiring fewer crew than conventional trimaran sailing boats.

Claims

A sailing watercraft including: a hull; a mast extending from the hull; a starboard outrigger extending from the hul!; a port outrigger extending from the hu!i; first and second huii foils extending from the hu ll and spaced from each other along the axis of the huii; an outrigger foii extending from each of the starboard and port outriggers; and means for varying the inclination or shape of each outrigger foil, in use, to vary the lift applied by the outrigger foils.

A sailing watercraft according to claim 1 , wherein the means for varying the inclination or shape of each outrigger foil comprises inclination means that varies the angle of attack of each outrigger foil between : (I) a first position in which the outrigger foil applies a positive lift to the outrigger from which it extends; and (li) a second position in which the outrigger foil applied a negative lift to the outrigger from which it extends.

A sailing watercraft according to claim 2, wherein the first null foii Is aligned substantially with the axis of the mast.

A sailing watercraft according to claim 3, further including a keel on which the first huii foil Is located.

A sailing watercraft according to claim 4, further Including a rudder.

6. A sailing watercraft according to claim 5, wherein the second huii foil extends frcm the rudder. mast.

A sailing watercraft according to claim 7, wherein each outrigger includes a buoyant element.

A sailing watercraft according to claim 8, wherein each outrigge foil is hingediy attached to its corresponding outrigger.

C

A sailing watercraft according to claim 9, wherein the first hull foil is larger than the second hull foil and the outrigger foils.

A sailing watercraft according to claim 10, wherein the hall includes a cockp5

12. A sailing watercraft according to claim 11 . wherein the inclination means may, in use, be controlled by a skipper located In the cockpit.

13. A sailing watercraft according to claim 12, further including a control column0 wherein the control for the Inclination means is located.

14. A sailing watercraft according to claim 13, wherein the first huii foil, in use, provides a fulcrum for the outrigger foils to counteract the heeling moment of the sail through the mast.

5

15. A sailing watercraft according to claim 14, wherein, In use, one of the outrigger foils is inclined to provide positive lift to its corresponding outrigger and the other of the outrigger foils is inclined to provide negative lift to its corresponding outrigger. 0 16. A sailing watercraft according to claim 15, wherein the inclination means also varies the Inclination of the first and second hull foils.

17, A sailing watercraft according to claim 16, wherein the Inclination means also changes the cross-sectional shape of the outrigger foils.