Patent ID: 7975317

Claim:
A protective sailing helmet cap having improved ventilation consisting of: a sailing cap piece, wherein said sailing cap piece covers a top portion of a sailor's head; and a bill extending from a front edge of the sailing cap piece to thereby provide protection to a sailor's face while sailing, wherein the sailing cap piece and bill are comprised of a high impact plastic selected from polypropelene, impact polystyrene, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene thermoplastic resin, polycarbonate, nylon, or blends and combinations thereof; wherein the sailing cap piece includes a plurality of apertures therein, wherein the apertures occupy at least about 20% of the surface area of the sailing cap piece and less than about 70% of the surface area of the sailing cap piece, wherein the apertures are distributed to provide ventilation throughout the sailing cap piece, wherein the majority of the apertures are exposed directly to the air, the sailing cap piece and the bill consisting of a rigid material capable of providing impact protection to a sailor's head, the rigid material of the sailing cap piece being the same as the rigid material of the bill, wherein the sailing helmet cap absorbs a significant percentage of the force of a boom striking the sailing helmet cap under average wind conditions, wherein a removable padded head band, which provides additional protection against the impact of the boom and ensures a secure fit, is connected to the inner surface of the cap piece using a hook-and-loop fastener.