Patent ID: 8776708

Claim:
A mechanised device for manipulating a ship's sail comprising: a mast, a boom and a gaff each having first fore ends and second opposite aft ends, said boom and gaffe each respectively secured to said mast via said fore ends, a guiding element connecting said aft ends of said boom and of said gaff, so that said guiding element extends parallel or substantially parallel to said mast and defines a frame jointly with said mast, boom and gaff, a sail of rectangular or substantially rectangular shape having a lower foot edge and a first luff side edge and a second leech side edge, said sail secured to said boom via said lower foot edge and provided on said luff and leech side edges with guiding members along said mast and said guiding element, and mechanised means of hoisting and lowering said sail inside said frame, whilst guiding said sail luff and leech side edges along said mast and guiding element, wherein said guiding members allow rotation of said sail around a longitudinal axis X 2 -X′ 2 joining together a guiding member along said mast and a guiding member along said guiding element, said longitudinal axis being parallel or substantially parallel to said boom so that said sail, when lowered, is folded in an accordion fold on said boom, wherein the guiding member of said sail leech side edge is a slide, said slide comprising a sleeve sliding along the guiding element and wherein said sleeve or said sail leech side edge is provided with a rotating spindle, said rotating spindle extending over the axis of rotation X 2 -X′ 2 and received in an antifriction bearing secured respectively to said sail leech side edge or said sleeve.