Board-like sportscraft

Abstract

A board-like sportscraft comprises a core and a metallic skin covering at least a portion of said core.

1 . A board-like sportscraft comprising a core and a metallic skin covering at least a portion of said core.  
     
     
         2 . A board-like sportscraft as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the metallic skin contributes substantially to the structural strength of the sportscraft.  
     
     
         3 . A board-like sportscraft as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said metallic skin covers at least 75% of the surface area of said core.  
     
     
         4 . A board-like sportscraft as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein said metallic skin covers substantially all of said core.  
     
     
         5 . A board-like sportscraft as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said core includes two side rail portions and wherein the metallic skin covers at least 75% of each of said side rail portions.  
     
     
         6 . A board-like sportscraft as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said core includes two side rail portions and wherein the said rail portions of the core are covered by a fibre composite material, and wherein the metallic skin does not extend over the side rail portions.  
     
     
         7 . A board-like sportscraft as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the metallic skin is composed at least mainly from a metal chosen from the group consisting of: aluminum; stainless steel; aluminum alloys.  
     
     
         8 . A board-like sportscraft as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein there is provided an inner coating layer between the core and the metallic skin to enhance adhesion of said metallic skin to said core.  
     
     
         9 . A board-like sportscraft as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein said inner layer includes at least one of: a zinc component; an adhesive; and an epoxy resin.  
     
     
         10 . A board-like sportscraft as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least some of said metallic skin is formed by spraying of a metal.  
     
     
         11 . A board-like sportscraft as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least some of the metallic skin is formed from one or more prefabricated metallic panels.  
     
     
         12 . A board-like sportscraft as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein more than half of the surface area of the sportscraft is formed from one or more prefabricated metallic panels.  
     
     
         13 . A method of manufacturing a board-like sportscraft, comprising the steps of: 
 preparing at least a portion of a shaped core for a board-like sportscraft for coating with a metallic skin;    coating at least a portion of said core with a metallic skin.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising the step of coating at least a portion of said core with an intermediate coating layer, and wherein said step of coating at least a portion of said core with a metallic skin comprises applying said metallic skin onto at least a portion of said intermediate coating layer.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said intermediate coating layer is composed entirely or mainly of a substance chosen from the group including zinc; adhesive; epoxy resin.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said metallic skin is formed from a substance composed entirely or mainly of a metal chosen from the group including: aluminum; aluminum alloy; stainless steel.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said step of coating with a metallic skin includes spraying a metallic substance to form at least part of the metallic skin.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said step of coating with a metallic skin includes the step of attaching one or more prefabricated metallic panels to the core.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the at least a portion of the core which is not covered by a metallic panel is covered by a skin portion made of a composite material.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the step of attaching one or more prefabricated metallic panels to the core includes use of pressure exerted by a fluid to force at least one panel onto the core.  
     
     
         21 . A method of manufacturing a board-like sportscraft comprising the steps of: 
 forming a shell including at least one metal portion;    Introducing a fluid into said shell;    allowing the fluid to set so as to form a core of a sportscraft, and so that the shell forms a skin which covers at least part of said core, and at least part of said skin is metallic.