Patent ID: 7318388

Claim:
A system capable of influencing aerodynamic effects upon a powered multihull boat when said boat is in powered motion comprising: a powered boat incorporating a generally contiguous deck extending across said boat's transverse width and a multihull having at least one longitudinally extending tunnel formed therein, said longitudinally extending tunnel defining open transverse tunnel cross-sections for longitudinal transiting therethrough of a first portion of an air stream said boat is traveling through, said air stream first portion effectively pervading said open transverse tunnel cross-sections when transiting said tunnel, said open transverse tunnel cross-sections allowing said first air stream portion to transit with a general velocity vector, relative to said boat, of substantially the same direction as and with a magnitude that is at least a major fraction of the direction and magnitude, relative to said boat, of a general water surface velocity vector; at least one aerodynamic element capable of interacting with the air stream the powered boat travels through when in powered motion, said aerodynamic element being selectively alterable in disposition while the powered boat is in powered motion, said alterable disposition of the aerodynamic element being capable of influencing the powered boat's response to aerodynamic effects, said aerodynamic element dispositions including a maximally elevated first disposition and at least one less elevated second disposition, wherein at least one of said aerodynamic elements is selectively disposable so that said aerodynamic element, when in said less elevated second disposition, interacts with said first air stream portion and said aerodynamic element, when in said maximally elevated first disposition, does not interact with a second portion of the airstream passing over a part of said contiguous deck; said transverse tunnel cross-sections of an aft half of said tunnel, absent said aerodynamic elements, being relatively proportioned such that more aftward transverse cross-sections are substantially not progressively narrower than less aftward transverse cross-sections; and at least one supplementary aerodynamic element, said supplementary aerodynamic element providing said system with an auxiliary capability of influencing the powered boat's response to aerodynamic effects by interacting with at least one of a third and said second portions of the air stream, wherein said third portion of the air stream both does not pass through any of the tunnels formed within the multihull of said powered multihull boat and does not pass over a part of said contiguous deck.