More than a sail, a wind engine
Limiting the use of combustion engines in pleasure boating, decarbonizing maritime transport... For a number of reasons, sailing and, more generally, wind-powered boat propulsion have a bright future ahead of them, and are still the focus of efforts by inventors and developers. Among the latest innovations, the new fully automated inflatable sail designed by Michelin's teams, with the support of skipper Michel Desjoyeaux, is in the news. We had the opportunity to put in some tacks with the prototype of this Wisamo sail, installed on the sailor's Sense 43.
Rather than using the term sail, Michel Desjoyeaux likes to call his solution a wind engine: "The system is automated. Like an engine, you just press a button to start it and choose the power you want. Then it's just a matter of taking the helm and deciding where you're going."
An inflatable sail without a sheet
Indeed, even though it is a prototype that Michel Desjoyeaux and Michelin are still fine-tuning, the system is fully automatic. As soon as he leaves the dock, our skipper presses a button on the screen in the cockpit, choosing full power, as the day's conditions are moderate. The 100 m2 of sail gradually inflate before even leaving Concarneau's inner harbor. The process takes 5 minutes, with the help of 5 fans. The sail, which looks like a Michelin Man, and its internal telescopic mast, hoisted by electric winches hidden in the boom, reach a height of 16.56 meters.
The sail, mounted on a balestron, has no sheet. It is a motor that turns it around the mast to adjust the angle of incidence in relation to the wind, automatically. Depending on the power required and the wind strength, the control software developed by Michelin, tacks or reefs the sail and, if necessary, takes a reef without the crew even thinking about it. To do this, the system relies on three anemometers.
Safety and maneuvers
Once at the helm, the sailor used to a classic sailboat is likely to be confused. There is no need to adjust the sails, they adjust themselves according to whether he is luffing or falling. The time comes to test the gybe. Here again, the reference points change. No need to warn the crew to avoid the boom, it passes over the bow, like a windsurfer's gybe. An interesting safety feature when cruising.
Another safety benefit of the Wisamo sail is that it can be feathered almost instantly, regardless of the boat's speed. In case of an incident or man overboard, the skipper can stop the boat without any complex maneuvers.
The Wisamo canopy is not watertight, and the fans keep it pressurized at a small cost. But this eliminates the need for costly sealing solutions and provides extra security in case of a tear. Michel Desjoyeaux attests to this: "We didn't notice a tear of several inches until the sail was lowered on the way back to port, because the fans were keeping the sail inflated."
A competitive solution at the top of the range
Although the Wisamo sail has been developed primarily for commercial vessels, with the aim of offering a fully automated decarbonization solution, it could have applications in yachting. It will not be suitable for sailors who are keen on tuning, but it could appeal to rental companies that want to reach newcomers who are not familiar with sailing but want to sail without an internal combustion engine, or to them directly. Older boaters who are no longer physically fit to handle square meters of sail could also be targeted.
Made with classic gennaker cloth, the sail, mast and various peripherals, reach for a sailboat like the Sense 43 a budget equivalent to that of a sailboat equipped with high-end options, with a carbon mast, beautiful sails and electric fittings. The mass estimates are comparable and the performance on the Sense 43 offers similar speeds, with the 100 m2 Wisamo and the classic 86 m2 sail plan.
Tested in moderate wind conditions, the Wisamo sail surprised us, especially by making itself invisible when entering and leaving the harbor. Will we see it flourish on high-end yachts? No one knows, but the yachtsman's eye should certainly get used to unconventional rigs, Wisamo or otherwise, that open up possibilities for getting away from the combustion engine.
