Little precision to date on this new inflatable sail system that recently appeared on Lake Geneva. It is the daily newspaper 24heures.ch (a Swiss magazine) which released the information and a video.
It is an inflatable sail fed continuously by two turbines placed in the boat. Once in position, the profile resembles an airplane wing. But when it is lowered, the telescopic mast folds down along with the wing. Surprising!
The first images do not show a great rigidity of the assembly, which will probably have to be less flexible to accept more wind.
The inventors of this new rigging are not at their trial run as they are Laurent de Kalbermatten, inventor of paragliding in the 80s and the sailor Édouard Kessi, already winner of the Bol d'Or.
This sail now equips a 9 m monohull but the inventors imagine it rather on large cruise ships or mega yachts.
