Wing profile sail

Abstract

A wing profile sail for sailboats and sailboards, formed by a flexible sheet having a leading edge configured to be coupled to a mast, includes inflatable bladder means extending along the direction of the leading edge, rearward thereto, to provide a wind profile to the sail. The inflatable bladder means includes multiple pockets fixed to the opposite surfaces of the flexible sheet and localized behind its leading edge.

1 . A wing profile sail for sailboats and sailboards, formed by a flexible sheet having a leading edge configured to be coupled to a mast and comprising inflatable bladder means extending in a direction of said leading edge rearward thereto and arranged to provide a wing profile to the sail, wherein the inflatable bladder means are fixedly secured to the opposite surfaces of the flexible sheet. 
     
     
         2 . The sail according to  claim 1 , wherein said inflatable bladder means include two groups of multiple flexible pockets arranged side-by-side. 
     
     
         3 . The sail according to  claim 2 , wherein said multiple pockets are substantially inextensible. 
     
     
         4 . The sail according to  claim 2 , wherein said multiple pockets are directly inflatable. 
     
     
         5 . The sail according to  claim 2 , wherein said respective tubular inflatable resilient members are housed within said multiple pockets. 
     
     
         6 . The sail according to  claim 2 , wherein said pockets have a differentiated width. 
     
     
         7 . The sail according to  claim 6 , wherein said pockets have a smaller width at a proximal end and at a distal end of said two pocket groups and have a greater width in correspondence of intermediate zones of said two pocket groups. 
     
     
         8 . The sail according to  claim 7 , wherein said intermediate zones are located at a variable position in a range of ⅓ or less of the width of said two pocket groups starting from said leading edge. 
     
     
         9 . The sail according to  claim 7 , wherein a maximum width of said two pocket groups is greater than a transverse section of the mast. 
     
     
         10 . The sail according to  claim 2 , wherein said pockets have a progressively increasing width towards the foot of the sail. 
     
     
         11 . The sail according to  claim 2 , wherein said pockets terminate at a distance from a head and/or from a foot of the sail. 
     
     
         12 . The sail according to  claim 2 , wherein each pocket group is covered, on its side opposite to the respective surface of the sheet, by at least one flexible panel generally parallel to said sheet. 
     
     
         13 . The sail according to  claim 12 , further comprising two additional flexible joining panels enclosing said two pocket groups and extending from said leading edge as far as an area of said sheet located rearward to said two pocket groups. 
     
     
         14 . Sail The sail according to  claim 13 , wherein said two additional flexible joining panels are at least in part elastic. 
     
     
         15 . The sail according to  claim 13 , wherein said area is located in correspondence of at least half width of the sheet. 
     
     
         16 . The sail according to  claim 2 , further comprising two flexible baffles designed to join said two pocket groups to the front surface of the mast at opposite sides of said leading edge. 
     
     
         17 . The sail according to  claim 2 , wherein each group of multiple pockets is formed as a prefabricated mat. 
     
     
         18 . The sail according to  claim 17 , wherein each prefabricated mat is designed to be applied onto the respective surface of the sheet in a releasable fashion. 
     
     
         19 . The sail according to  claim 1 , wherein said inflatable bladder means are configured to be inflated according to a joint or independent and selective or combined mode. 
     
     
         20 . The sail according to  claim 1 , wherein said leading edge is designed to be connected to the mast through a single or a multiple connecting system. 
     
     
         21 . The sail according to  claim 1 , wherein said inflatable bladder means are localized immediately behind said leading edge and extend substantially for ½ or less of the width of the sheet.