I like how the swing-wing deals with twist in the leech (the "chinese" sheeting arrangement). The omer wingsail seems more complicated. I was thinking that you could adapt the swing-wing for use on a proa, and still keep the chinese sheeting arrangement. This is the configuration I imagined: Unstayed, round-section mast, wing sail as in Mr. Tyler's Tystie. The mess of chinese sheets would be led to the outboard end of a boom under the sail. This boom would have jaws or a gooseneck at the inboard end and be free to rotate independently from the sail. Thus, I think you'd be able to set the chinese sheets relative to this lower boom, and then have your mainsheet that you'd use to adjust the angle of the whole sail rigged to this boom and run to the cockpit. When shunting you'd be able to leave the complicated web of chinese sheets fixed relative to the boom, and use the simpler, conventional, secondary mainsheets to get the sail over to the other tack.
thanks for the info. i'll book mark it. seems similar to omer's wing sail:
http://www.omerwingsail.com/
ben
> The swing-wing is a soft wing sail, essentially a junk rig supported
> by snowshoe-like wishbone frames to give the sail a double-skinned
> airfoil surface for its leading edge.
>
> Because it works like a junk rig, it's easy to reef -- just let the
> halyard down another segment, pull on the new downhaul, and you're
> there. With a portion of the "wing" in front of the mast, it's at least
> partially balanced. Because it has a great leading edge that naturally
> orients to windward, it doesn't suffer the questionable upwind
> performance of a junk.
>
> The design is by Bertrand Fercot, implemented on his Wharram Tiki 30.
> He reports that his boat tacks easily and sails faster than a standard
> Wharram Tiki 30. Details are at:
>
>
> http://wharrambuilders.ning.com/profiles/blogs/sailing-with-pha-tiki-30-n119-1
>
> Kim and Rudolph aren't really related to the design. I just like to
> mention them because they're the ones who convinced me it's a great
> idea. Kim is the person who first mentioned the design in this forum,
> and Rudolph is the person who pointed out a lot of benefits that I
> wouldn't have noticed otherwise.
>
> The original discussion can be found here:
>
> http://au.groups.yahoo.com/group/harryproa/message/7314
>
> ---
>
> For a quick summary, it's the only soft wing sail I've seen that:
>
> - Can be raised and reefed with a single halyard,
>
> - Can be reefed or stowed simply by letting out on the halyard and
> tugging on one of the downhauls,
>
> - Can use soft heavy-duty sailcloth because the wishbones, not the
> sail, create the shape,
>
> - Automatically shapes itself to the wind without hydraulics or
> additional control lines,
>
> - Has the added benefit of the low sail/sheet stresses of a junk rig,
>
> - Delivers the partially-balanced forces of an easy rig,
>
> - Reduces those forces further by creating a double-skinned airfoil,
>
> - Eliminates both the boom and sail track, which are noticeable
> expenses once you include all the attendant hardware, and
>
> - Uses a fixed mast (no bearings!) and thus: an easier mast to build,
> erect, and remove.
>
>
> Cons:
>
> - Not as efficient as a solid wing,
>
> - Definitely requires some labor for the creation of those wishbone
> frames,
>
> - Not as established as other designs that have been tested for years,
>
> - Will therefore likely require some experimentation, and
>
> - May be tough to use as a schooner rig; it looks like those
> mainsheets need to be lead aft, and not just to the windward cockpit.
>
> ---
>
> Personally, I'm largely sold on this design if I go for a single
> mast. I love the efficient shape, lack of many moving parts, and lower
> cost (if you don't count labor and experimentation).