Patent ID: 7673576

Claim:
A sailboard, said sailboard comprising: a surfboard having a mast; a main sail mounted on the mast; a ball and socket arrangement to support the mast and to allow the board to tip laterally and for the mast to turn; a rod frame attached to the mast to provide support for a rider; a gate valve assembly, wherein said gate valve assembly includes: a gate valve sail mounted on a gate frame, said gate frame attaching the gate valve sail to the mast; spring rods having spring rod rings, wherein the gate frame extends through the spring rod rings, and wherein the spring rods are attached to the gate frame to allow a resilient displacement of the gate frame with respect to the mast; elastic bands attaching a trailing portion of the gate valve sail to the mast, said trailing portion and said mast defining a fluid gate; wherein when the sailboard is in wind, the wind displaces one or both of said gate valve sail and said gate frame to allow air passage through the fluid gate which reduces air drag and increases aerodynamic lift experienced by the main sail.