WO 2016/123639 A2 4 August 2016 (04.08.2016) P O P C T
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
(12) INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION PUBLISHED UNDER THE PATENT COOPERATION TREATY (PCT) (19) World Intellectual Property Organization I International Bureau (10) International Publication Number (43) International Publication Date WO 2016/123639 A2 4 August 2016 (04.08.2016) P O P C T (51) International Patent Classification: HN, HR, HU, ID, IL, IN, IR, IS, JP, KE, KG, KN, KP, KR, B63H 1/00 (2006.01) KZ, LA, LC, LK, LR, LS, LU, LY, MA, MD, ME, MG, MK, MN, MW, MX, MY, MZ, NA, NG, NI, NO, NZ, OM, (21) International Application Number: PA, PE, PG, PH, PL, PT, QA, RO, RS, RU, RW, SA, SC, PCT/ZA20 16/000001 SD, SE, SG, SK, SL, SM, ST, SV, SY, TH, TJ, TM, TN, (22) International Filing Date: TR, TT, TZ, UA, UG, US, UZ, VC, VN, ZA, ZM, ZW. 13 January 2016 (13.01 .2016) (84) Designated States (unless otherwise indicated, for every (25) Filing Language: English kind of regional protection available): ARIPO (BW, GH, GM, KE, LR, LS, MW, MZ, NA, RW, SD, SL, ST, SZ, (26) Publication Language: English TZ, UG, ZM, ZW), Eurasian (AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, RU, (30) Priority Data: TJ, TM), European (AL, AT, BE, BG, CH, CY, CZ, DE, 2015/00643 28 January 2015 (28.01.2015) ZA DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HR, HU, IE, IS, IT, LT, LU, LV, MC, MK, MT, NL, NO, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SI, SK, (72) Inventor; and SM, TR), OAPI (BF, BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, GQ, (71) Applicant : BULLOCK, Norman, Cyril, Rex [ZA/ZA]; GW, KM, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG). 8 Jacana Lane, Amber Valley, Karkloof Road, Howick, Kwazulu-Natal (ZA). Declarations under Rule 4.17 : — as to applicant's entitlement to apply for and be granted a (74) Agent: SIBANDA & ZANTWIJK; PO Box 1615, patent (Rule 4.1 7(H)) Houghton, 2041, Johannesburg, Gauteng (ZA). — of inventorship (Rule 4.17(iv)) (81) Designated States (unless otherwise indicated, for every kind of national protection available): AE, AG, AL, AM, Published: AO, AT, AU, AZ, BA, BB, BG, BH, BN, BR, BW, BY, — without international search report and to be republished BZ, CA, CH, CL, CN, CO, CR, CU, CZ, DE, DK, DM, upon receipt of that report (Rule 48.2(g)) DO, DZ, EC, EE, EG, ES, FI, GB, GD, GE, GH, GM, GT, (54) Title: SAILING WATERCRAFT < (57) Abstract: A sailing watercraft includes a hull, a mast extending from the hull, a starboard outrigger extending from the hull, a o port outrigger extending from the hull first and second hull foils extending from the hull and spaced from each other along the axis of the hull, an outrigger foil extending from each of the starboard and port outriggers, and means for varying the inclination or shape of each outrigger foil, in use, to vary the lift applied by the outrigger foils. In essence, the sailing trimaran includes foils on: (I) two outriggers, (ii) the boat hull; and (iii) the boat stern. SAILING WATERCRAFT BACKGROUND The present invention reistes to a sailing waiercrafi with foils. More particularly, the present invention relates to a sailing trimaran with foils on: (i) two outriggers, (li) the boat hull; and (iii) the boat stern . Sailing hydrofoil borne boats have been developed and in use for several decades, mainiy in Dinghy design for recreation, allowing for the achievement of uch faster speeds than conventional hull-borne sailboats. Recent innovation has been the use of hydrofoils in the design of about 70 foot length catamaran sailboats for the prestigious America Cup annua! sailboat regatta sailed with average speeds of around 40 knots powered by very tali "hitech" sails in order to achieve their high speeds. With conventional knowledge and design the fail sails need relatively big crews to control the heeling moment generated by the sails. The most skilled skipper / crew combination Is needed to win the race, and the large crew detracts from the skippers' individual skills b having to direct many crew members simultaneously. Sailing boats with foils are known. For example, the RAVE Hydrofoil is a trimaran with a set of three foils - one foil n each of the outriggers and one foil on the stern of the boat. The RAVE trimaran does not include a foil aligned with the axis of the mast. t is also known for powerboats to include a pair of foils spaced along the hull - one located near the stern and one located just rear of the bow. it is also known for foils on waiercrafi to include means to change their angle of attack, a d consequently the lift provided thereby. t is an object of the present invention to provide a sailing boat with a foil o the hull and wherein foils on outriggers may be used to counteract the affect of wind on the sail and thereby control heeling of the boat by the skipper. According to a preferred embodiment of the present inventicn, there is provided a sailing watercrafi that includes: a hull: a ast extending from the hull; a starboard outrigger extending from the ull; a port outrigger extending from the huii; first and second h ii foils extending fro the huii and spaced from each other along the axis of the hull; an outrigger fo i extending from each of the starboard and port outriggers; and means for varying the inclination or shape of each outrigger foii, i use, to vary the iift applied by the outrigger foils. Preferabiv, the means for varying the inclination or shape of each outrigger foii varies the angle of attack of each outrigger foil between: i) a first position in which the outrigger foil applies s positive iift to the outrigger from which t extends; and ( i) a second position in which the outrigger foil applied a negative lift to the outrigger from which if extends. Typically, the first huii foii is aligned substantially with the axis of the mast. The watercrafi may further include s keel on which the first hull foil is iocated. Generally, the sailing watercraft further includes a rudder. Preferably, the second hull foii extends from the rudder. Typically, the sailing watercraft further includes a sail secured to the mast. Optionally, each ouirigger includes a buoyant element. Preferabiy, each outrigger foil is hingedly attached to its corresponding outrigger. Typically, the first ull foil is larger than the second hull foil and the outrigger foils. Generally, the hull includes a cockpit. Preferabiy, the Inclination means may, in use, be controlled by a skipper located in the cockpit. Typically, the sailing watercraft further includes a control column wherein the control for the inclination means is located. Generally, the first hull foil, in use, provides a fulcrum for the outrigger foils to counteract the heel n moment of the sail t rou h the mast Preferabiy, In use, one of the outrigger foils is inclined to provide positive lift to its corresponding outrigger and the other of the outrigger foils is inclined to provide negative lift to Its corresponding outrigger. Typically, the inclination means also varies the inclination of the first and second hull foils. Optionally, the inclination means also changes the cross-sectional shape of the outrigger foils. BRI EF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWI NGS The invention wi t now be described in ore detail , by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which : Figure 1 Is a perspective view of a sailing watercraft according a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a side view of the sailing watercraft in Figure ; Is a front view of the sailing watercraft in Figure ; is a side view of the sailing watercraft in Figure 1 showing : (1) a fo i on a port outrigger, with the foil in a first position and (ii) a foii on a starboard outrigger, with the foil in a second position; and is a side view of the sailing watercraft in Figure 1 showing : (i a foii on a port outrigger, with the foil in a second position; and (ii) a foii on a starboard outrigger, with the foil in a first position . DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIM ENT With reference to Figures 1 to 5 of the drawings, a sailing watercraft i the form of a trimaran sailing boat includes a hull 12, a starboard outrigger 14 extending from the starboard side of the hu!i 12 , a port outrigger 16 extending from the port side of the hull 12, first and second hull foils 18 and 20 and an outrigger foil 22 extending from each outrigger 1 and 1 . The hull is a conventional elongate hull from which extends a mast 24 to which a sail 26 is, in use, attached. A r 28 is located at the stern of the hull 12 . And, a cockpit 30 Is sunk into the huii 12 . n use, the skipper (not shown) controls steering of the sailing boat / turn of the rudder 28 from the cockpit. Blades 3 1 space the hull foils 18 a d 20 from the hull 12 and the outrigger foils 22 from the outriggers 14 and 16 . The biade 31 extending from the huii 12 could comprise a keel . The first hui foil 18 extends from the operative bottom of the hull 12 (optionally, from the keei), and is substantially aligned with the axis of the mast 24 (i.e. the centre o the first huii foil 18 is located within 100 centimetres of the axis of the mast 24). Whereas, the second hull foii 2 extends from the operative bottom end of the rudder 28.