Rigid wing sail? What is this?

[sec906]

While sailing behind Harbor Island in San Diego Bay, we saw a docked catamaran with what looks like an airplane wing mounted vertically on top of the boat. I've never seen anything quite like it before.

Can anyone tell me more about this or provide a reference to more information?

Thanks!
-SEC

[David M]

We have had a few threads now on rigid wing sails.

This is the most recent: http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...cat-22859.html There is lots of good info and debate here.

You can find more by using our search engine:
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/search.php

[Slinger]

Hard sails are efficient. No doubt about that. But as far as practicality, I hope everyone remembers Dennis Conner's 60-ft hard-sail'ed cat Stars and Stripes, which beat the NZ Big Boat in that weird AC match in '88. To put the boat away at night, they had to turn the whole boat sideways — up on one hull — and strap the wing down. Otherwise the dang thing was always yanking on its docklines trying to escape.

[sec906]

Thanks! Never too old to learn something new...

[peterroach]

We typically call that really, really, really fast!