Wing Tip Rig ™

Wing Tip Rigs™ are available for all of our models.  The "purest" form of it being used on the America One, and  F³,.

The Wing Tip Rig™ represents a powerful planform for a sail that unlike most modern fully roached or square top rigs does not require full battens (which don't work too well on models).   Further it features a drag dissipating tip design and an upper outhaul resulting in a capacity to shape the sail better than any existing sail. The essence of the Wing Tip Rig™ is better sail shape, drag reduction, and light weight (compared to fully roached sails).

Wing Tip Rig™ background

The first Wing Tip Rig™ that could be hoisted was first devised by Doug Lord in 1975.

The top of the sail has a short adjustable gaff. It is a modern version of the well known gaff rig. Using vang tension, gaff tension or both allows very precise control of sail twist.

The newest version of Wing Tip Rig™ has been refined to provide performance closer to a solid wing than any existing soft sail planform.

The Wing Tip Rig (tm) in its primary embodiment on the Spinnaker 50 main does a number of things:

1. It provides an aerodynamically superior planform without requiring full battens.
2. The tip shape reduces induced drag for more power upwind.
3. The outboard top corner (peak in gaff terms) is adjustable allowing the camber to be varied at the top of the sail as well as at the foot with a normal outhaul.
4. The lack of full battens allows superior performance in lite air as compared to fully battened sails.
5. Twist, over the whole sail planform, is easier to induce and to remove than in virtually any other sail type allowing perfect matching of the sail to prevailing conditions.
6. Depowering is easy and is automatic, when the rig is set up properly, providing excellent gust response.

The benefits of the Wing Tip Rig™ are less drag, more power and more effective depowering.

There is a measurable difference in model performance with the Wing Tip Rig™ when compared to an identical model without it!

Notice the Wing Tip Rig™ on the Spinnaker 50 pictured below.

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