Rig arrangement for a sailboat

Abstract: This invention relates to a rig arrangement for a sailboat, said sailboat having a hull, comprising a mast and a boom for supporting a sail. The rig arrangement has been improved in that said boom is supported for pivotal movement about a generally vertical axis by the hull and said mast is supported by said boom. Preferably, the mast is pivotally connected to the boom at the lower end of the mast and at the forward end of the boom.

Description: This invention relates to a rig arrangement for a sailboat, comprising the features of the preamble portion of claim 1. As is well known with conventional sailboats, the main sail is supported by a mast and boom assembly. The mast supports the forward vertical edge of the sail, while the boom supports the lower horizontal edge of the sail. The boom swings relative to an axis defined by the mast upon sailing and various angles are set by the sailors to obtain the desired motion of the sailboat. Because of the fact that the force of the sail is transmitted to the hull through the mast, there exists a moment on the hull which can cause the hull to tend to rotate about a vertical axis defined by the mast. This situation may be best understood by reference to Figure 1 which shows a conventional prior art type of sailboat when in a tacking condition. The sailboat, indicated generally by the reference numeral 11, has a hull 12 on which a mast 13 is supported. The mast 13 is positioned slightly forwardly of the forward edge of a keel 14 which depends from the underside of the hull into the water body. This keel 14 is disposed on a longitudinal center line 15 of the hull 12. To the rear of the hull there is mounted a pivotally supported rudder 16 for steering of the sailboat 11. A boom 17 is pivotally supported on the mast 13 so that a sail 18 thereon may be disposed at the desired angle to the wind, blowing in the direction shown in the arrow 19 so as to effect movement of the sailboat 11 through the body of water. The sail 18 has a pressure center 21 on which the wind force acts. In the illustrated embodiment, the boom 17 is swung to an angle so as to effect tacking of the sailboat 11. This is movement in a direction generally opposite to or against the wind direction. The wind across the sail 18 acts through a center of pressure 21 in a direction of force indicated by the arrow A in the vector diagram in this figure. This force resolves into a forward force B and a side thrust force C. Because the center of the mast 13 is offset from the pressure point 21 by a distance L 1 , there is generated a turning moment indicated by the arrow M on the watercraft which tends to cause it to rotate and also to side slip. The side slipping action is resisted primarily by the keel 14. As is known the wind force also creates a force about a horizontal axis tending to cause the hull 12 to heal over. The action of the keel 14 also resists this healing action. Rotation of the hull 12 about the vertical axis defined by the mast 13 is avoided by turning the rudder 16 as shown in this figure so that it generates a force indicated by the force vector E through its action with the water. This force generates a side force D which resists the turning moment M. However, it also provides a drag force F which reduces the forward speed of the hull. The boom 17 is held against rotation by a force G exerted through a rope on the end of the boom 17 and which acts through a distance L3 from the pivot axis. This distance is greater than the distance L2 from the center of force and hence resists the rotation of the boom 17 and sail 18 so as to permit the force on the sail to achieve the forward motion of the hull 12. Thus, by mounting the sail so that its forward edge is in line with the mast and with the boom pivoting about this same axis, a considerable drag force is exerted to keep the hull traveling in a forward direction. Although it would appear obvious to move the center of the pivot point of the boom 17 to the area in line with the center of pressure, the center of pressure actually shifts as the boom is pivoted. Thus it is not possible to maintain this alignment under all conditions. Furthermore, a situation may arise where the center of pressure can move forwardly of the pivot axis on tacking and this will cause erratic and unsmooth running. Generally, a sailboat is in trim when the resultant wind force acting on the sail goes through the axis of rotation of the hull, which is defined by the lateral forces of the water acting on the hull. As this axis of rotation of the hull is defined to a large extent by the position of the keel, it would appear obvious to arrange the keel at the right position so as to bring the sailboat in trim. However, for different courses such as upwind or downwind courses, the sail has to be adjusted in different positions relative to the hull, so that the resultant wind force acting on the sail of conventional rig arrangements do not always act along a line going through the center of rotation of the hull. That results in the sailboat turning to leeward or windward and necessitates the giving opposing control by the rudder, thereby increasing the drag force F. A problem with such sailboats is that the mast is generally mounted in the hull in a relatively permanent fashion. Although it is possible to step the mast, storage then becomes a problem and the actual detachment of the mast from the hull is not a convenient maneuver. A rig arrangement comprising the features of the preamble portion of claim 1 is known from EP-A-0 184 782. The mast in said prior art rig arrangement is mounted on a pivot on the boom which extends in a horizontal direction. By rotating the mast about its vertical axis the sail can be wound on the mast. If it is desired to store said prior art rig arrangement on shore, it will be necessary to disassemble the mast and boom into two separate parts so that one of them might get lost. Furthermore, the assembly and disassembly of the mast and boom appears to be rather time consuming. In view of the above the objective of the present invention is to provide an improved rig arrangement for a sailboat, which permits easy handling at the harbour or on shore. According to the present invention, this objective is performed by a rig arrangement comprising the features of claim 1. Accordingly, the mast can be tilted rearwards and removal of the sail or boom is unnecessary when the mast is tilted, thereby effecting easy handling. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, said pivot axis extends through said boom between the ends thereof, said boom extending rearwardly of and projecting forwardly of said pivot axis. Accordingly, the pressure sensor of the sail on which the wind force acts approaches the axis of rotation and accordingly the resultant rotatory moment acting on the hull is decreased, thereby reducing the drag force caused by the rudder. Furthermore, handling of the sail is facilitated, as the rig is better balanced. According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the center of pressure of the wind forces is disposed to the rear of the vertical axis about which the boom pivots and is spaced a substantially lesser distance from the pivot axis than the front of the boom. Accordingly, the center of pressure is slightly offset rearwards with respect to the vertical pivot axis so that smooth sailing operation will result. Further preferred embodiments of the present invention are laid down in further dependent claims. Hereinafter, the present invention is illustrated and explained in greater detail by means of preferred embodiments of the invention in connection with accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a top plan vector diagram of a prior art type of sailing vessel showing the forces when in a tacking condition. Figure 2 is a side elevational view of a sailboat for explanining in general the structure of the embodiment of the invention. Figure 3 is a top plan view of the sailboat showing the forces which act during tacking. Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the pivotal support for the boom. Figure 5 is an enlarged side elevational view showing the embodiment of the invention with the mast in its erected position in solid lines and in its retracted position in phantom lines. Figure 6 is a perspective view of this embodiment and taken generally from the rear portion and one side thereof. Figure 7 is a side elevational view, in part similar to Figure 5, and shows another embodiment of the invention. Figure 8 is a side elevational view showing the pivot connection between the boom and mast. Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 9-9 of Figure 8. Figures 2-4 show a sailboat identified generally by the reference numeral 51. The basic construction of the sailboat 51 is similar to that of the prior art and hence where the components are the same or substantially the same, they have been identified by the same reference numerals as applied in that figure. However, Figure 2 shows a side elevation and Figure 4 shows an enlarged cross-section which emphasize the distinctive features of the invention. The hull 12 is, in the illustrated embodiment, comprised of a lower portion 52 and an upper deck 53 that is affixed to the hull 52 in a known manner and which defines a rider's area to the rear thereof. The deck 53 and hull 52 may also form a small cutty cabin at the front. In accordance with this embodiment, an axle, indicated generally by the reference numeral 54 and shown in most detail in Figure 4, is provided with a base 55 that is affixed to an anchor 56 which is, in turn, affixed to the upper side of the lower hull surface 52. The axle 54 has a portion 57 which extends above the upper portion of the deck 53. The axle supports a mast, boom and sail in a manner which will be described. A boom, indicated generally by the reference numeral 58, has a horizontally extending portion 59 with a mast 61 extending upwardly at the forward end thereof. The boom horizontal portion 59 is provided with a hub assembly, indicated generally by the reference numeral 62, and which has a construction as best shown in Figure 4 by which it is journaled for rotation about a vertically extending axis 63 defined by the axle 54. This hub portion 62 is comprised of a cylindrical part 64 which may be formed integrally with the lower surface of the horizontal part 59 and which carries an upper bearing 65 and a lower bearing 66, each of which provides a journal with the axle 54. A lower thrust bearing 67 is provided between the lower end of the hub portion 62 and the surface of the deck 53 to fix one axial location of the boom 58 on the axle 54. The other end is located by a closure plate 68 that is affixed to the boom horizontal portion 59 by fasteners 69. It should be noted that the axis 63 is such that it is off set by a relatively small amount L5 from the normal pressure center 71 formed by a sail 72. The sail 72 is affixed with its lower edge to the boom horizontal portion 59 and its upper vertical edge to the mast portion 61. The sail 72 may be placed under some tension so that the mast portion 61 can deflect from the normal unloaded phantom line configuration shown in Figure 2 to the normal operating condition as shown in the solid line portion of this figure. Because of the more aft pivotal axis 63 along the boom, the forward thrust force vector will be disposed a smaller distance L4 from the boat center line 15 than with the prior art type of construction. However, the construction is such that during normal positioning of the boom 58 the pressure point 71 will always be behind the axis 63 so that smooth sailing operation will result. The assembly is provided with a pivotal connection between the boom 58 and the mast 61. In the embodiment as shown in Figures 5 and 6 the boom assembly is indicated in this embodiment by the reference numeral 101 with the mast being indicated generally by the reference numeral 102. A pivotal connection, indicated generally by the reference numeral 103, is provided between the lower end of the mast 102 and the forward end of the boom 101. This pivotal connection will be described in more detail later by reference to Figures 8 and 9 of the final illustrated embodiment. However, it includes basically a disk-shaped bearing element 104 that is contained within a journaling portion 105 formed at the forward end of the boom 101. In order to erect the mast, a rigid bar 106 is affixed to the lower end of the mast 102. The rigid bar 106 can be connected by means of guide wires 107 to a winch 108 so as to be raised and lowered between the positions shown in solid and phantom lines in Figures 5 and 6. The sail, indicated by the reference numeral 109, may be connected by fasteners 111 to the upper end of the mast 102 and by fasteners 112 to the rear end of the boom 101. Additional fasteners may be employed obviously for this connection. Figure 6 shows the chip in more detail, and in this figure the passenger's compartment may be seen and it is identified by the reference numeral 113 and contains a helm 114 for steering the rudder 16 in a well-known manner. The cutty cabin also appears in more detail in this figure. The construction by which the mast 102 is raised and lowered may be best understood by reference to Figures 7-8. and this shows another embodiment wherein a winch 151, rather than being mounted on a forward portion of the deck 152 as in the embodiment of Figure 5, is actually concealed beneath this deck portion 152 in a recess 153 formed at the forward end of the hull. As may be seen in most detail in these figures, the forward portion of the boom 101 defines an internal pocket 154 in which the segment 104 is rotatably journaled between a pair of radially inwardly disposed bearings 155 and a pair of radially outwardly disposed bearings 156. These bearings 155 and 156 are mounted between spaced side walls 157 which define the pocket 154. The pivotal axis for the mast 102 is shown in these figures and identified by the reference numeral 158. Hence, the mast 102 may be easily pivoted between its lowered and raised positions because of this bearing support. As can be seen from figure 7, a locking device 149 is associated with the pivot connection 103 between the mast and the boom so as to keep the mast in its upright position for sailing. Said locking device can be disengaged so as to tilt the mast. Instead of the above-described rigid bar and guide wires, other means for raising and tilting the mast such as hydraulic or motor-driven actuators using gears, belts, chains or the like may be used. It is readily apparent from the foregoing description that the described sailboat construction provides smoother sailing and faster speed because of the offset pivotal axis for the boom. In addition, the journal for the boom is very robust and permits good motion with minimum obstruction to the watercraft. The pivotal connection between the mast and the boom also permits stepping of the mast without large effort and permits the mast to be raised again very quickly when desired. Of course, the foregoing description is that of a preferred embodiment of the invention, and various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Claims: A rig arrangement for a sailboat (51), said sailboat having a hull (12), comprising a mast (102) and a boom (101) for supporting a sail (169), wherein said boom (101) is supported for pivotal movement about a generally vertical axis (63) by the hull (12), and said mast (102) is supported by said boom (101), characterized in that a lower end portion of said mast (102) is pivotally connected to a forward end portion of said boom (101), and that the pivotal axis (158) of the pivotal connection (103) between the mast (102) and the boom (101) is transverse to the boom and the mast. A rig arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that said generally vertical axis (63) extends through said boom (101) between the ends thereof, said boom extending rearwardly of and projecting forwardly of said generally vertical axis (63). A rig arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the sail (169) has a leading edge affixed to the mast (102) and a trailing edge affixed to the boom (101) and that in normal positions the center of pressure (71) of the wind forces acting on the sail (109) is disposed to the rear of the generally vertical axis (63) about which the boom (101) pivots. A rig arrangement according to claim 3, characterized in that said center of pressure (71) of the wind forces is spaced a substantially lesser distance from the pivot axis (63) than the front of the boom (101). A rig arrangement according to at least one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the generally vertical axis (63) of the boom (101) extends adjacent a forward end of a keel (14) depending from the hull (12). A rig arrangement according to at least one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the generally vertical axis (63) for the boom (101) is defined by a pair of spaced apart bearings (65, 66) fixed relative to the upper and lower edges of the boom (101). A rig arrangement according to claim 6, characterized in that the bearings (65, 66) are formed internally of the boom (101). A rig arrangement according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the bearings (65, 66) are supported on an axle (54) that extends through the upper deck (53) of the hull (12) and is anchored at its lower end to the lower portion of the hull (12) contiguous to the keel (14). A rig arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the mast (102) has a cylindrical segment that is received between a pair of radially spaced bearings (155, 156) carried by the boom (101) or controlling the pivotal movement of the mast relative to the boom. A rig arrangement according to claim 9, characterized in that a locking device for keeping the mast (102) in its upright position is associated with said pivot connection (103) between the mast and the boom.

Inventors: HARA IOKI, HARA, IOKI, HARA, IOKI, C/O YAMAHA HATSUDOKI K.K.
Applicants: YAMAHA MOTOR CO LTD, YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Application year: 1995
Main classification: B63H9
IPC codes: B63B15, B63H9