Just came across a more advanced version of the soft wing rig. You may find this interesting: http://soft-wing.ch/
Video of the rig on a F-18 catamaran: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNbCZkd9tX0
Arto
On Tuesday, February 4, 2014
7:45 PM, Arto Hakkarainen <ahakkara@yahoo.com> wrote:
Mike,
Like I said in the earlier message I have no experience with these rigs. They are very appealing and the theory sounds good but as we all know theory and practice are the same only in theory :) I wish I had the chance to test the rig in smaller scale first. May be a quick summer holiday Project. Now what would be the fastest to build small proa as a test platform? Fewer build hours the better and never mind the finish.
Arto
On Tuesday, February 4, 2014 6:38 PM, Mike Crawford <mcrawf@nuomo.com> wrote:
Arto,
I went to your link to matinbleu today after looking at that youtube video and pondering the swing-wing again.
As much as I'm a fan of the swing-wing in theory, I have to admit that most implementations of it look a little too homebuilt for my tastes, and the video didn't help. I'd have a hard time putting those lower-aspect junk-looking sails on a sleek proa.
But the matinblue site had these images of their soft wingsails:
http://img.over-blog.com/500x375/3/98/59/86/1-bilan-voyage/lazyjacks.JPG
http://img.over-blog.com/375x500/3/98/59/86/1-bilan-voyage/deux-ailes.JPG
And one of the sail on a new Beneteau:
http://www.voiles-alternatives.com/documents/ailes_souples/aile_beneteau/aile_beneteau1.jpg
Those are some pretty good looking sails.
I haven't had time to try to translate the blog to see if there are any construction details (I'm pressed for time and my French is rusty), but they appear to have the same general concept as the swing-wing, but with flexible battens going to the leech. Of course, it could be a standard swing-wing that's just cut and tuned well, but still -- that's not an ugly sail. Those four reefing lines also look great -- the end result wouldn't be much larger than a postage stamp.
Do you know anything else about this rig?
That design is so nice that I might even be willing to ignore my own advice and add a rotating boom in order to skip the multiple junk sheets. I'm not sure I could go with the rotating masts they use, but a boom might work, and could conceivably be fixed at sea. The booms might also make for a more manageable schooner rig as well.
Thoughts?
- Mike
I went to your link to matinbleu today after looking at that youtube video and pondering the swing-wing again.
As much as I'm a fan of the swing-wing in theory, I have to admit that most implementations of it look a little too homebuilt for my tastes, and the video didn't help. I'd have a hard time putting those lower-aspect junk-looking sails on a sleek proa.
But the matinblue site had these images of their soft wingsails:
http://img.over-blog.com/500x375/3/98/59/86/1-bilan-voyage/lazyjacks.JPG
http://img.over-blog.com/375x500/3/98/59/86/1-bilan-voyage/deux-ailes.JPG
And one of the sail on a new Beneteau:
http://www.voiles-alternatives.com/documents/ailes_souples/aile_beneteau/aile_beneteau1.jpg
Those are some pretty good looking sails.
I haven't had time to try to translate the blog to see if there are any construction details (I'm pressed for time and my French is rusty), but they appear to have the same general concept as the swing-wing, but with flexible battens going to the leech. Of course, it could be a standard swing-wing that's just cut and tuned well, but still -- that's not an ugly sail. Those four reefing lines also look great -- the end result wouldn't be much larger than a postage stamp.
Do you know anything else about this rig?
That design is so nice that I might even be willing to ignore my own advice and add a rotating boom in order to skip the multiple junk sheets. I'm not sure I could go with the rotating masts they use, but a boom might work, and could conceivably be fixed at sea. The booms might also make for a more manageable schooner rig as well.
Thoughts?
- Mike
Arto Hakkarainen wrote:
Low aspect rigs are good downwind. They don't have as good L/D ratio as high aspect and so cannot be as good upwind as high aspect ratio sails.Mike: take a look at matinbleu.over-blog.com to see one good version of the swing rig. The more I think about it the more I like it. Matin Bleu also has two identical sails arranged as schooner and claim to be very happy after sailing around the world with it.Arto
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