Mast fairing for a sailboat

Abstract

A mast fairing for a sailboat includes an upper fairing and an optional lower fairing configured to reduce turbulent airflow over the upwind and downwind sides of a sail. The upper fairing includes a fairing wrap includes a central segment configured to wrap around a mast, a left-side panel, a right-side panel, and a sail track attached to trailing edges of the left- and right-side panels. One or more fairing supports are optionally attached to the sail track between the left- and right-side panels of the fairing wrap. The optional lower fairing includes a central segment, a left-side panel, and a right-side panel configured for installation on a mast and boom below the upper fairing. The upper and lower fairings reduce turbulent airflow over the surfaces of a sail and increase regions of laminar airflow to improve the performance of the sail.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus, comprising:
 an upper fairing, comprising:
 a fairing wrap, comprising:
 a central segment sufficiently pliable to conform to a curved surface of a sailboat mast; 
 a left-side panel joined to said central segment, said left-side panel comprising a left-side trailing edge; 
 a right-side panel joined to said central segment opposite said left-side panel, said right-side panel comprising a right-side trailing edge; and 
 
 a sail track positioned between said left-side trailing edge and said right-side trailing edge, said sail track configured for coupling to a sail luff; and 
   a lower fairing, comprising:
 a lower fairing central segment sufficiently pliable to conform to the curved surface of the sailboat mast; 
 a left-side lower fairing panel joined to said lower fairing central segment; and 
 a right-side lower-fairing panel joined to said lower fairing central segment opposite said left-side lower fairing panel. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said left-side panel is integrally formed with said central segment, and said left-side panel is formed with a slot positioned to receive a mast spreader. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said right-side panel is integrally formed with said central segment, and said right-side panel is formed with a slot positioned to receive a mast spreader. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said upper fairing is formed with an overall length dimension corresponding to at least 70 percent of a separation distance from a gooseneck for a boom to a top end of the sailboat mast. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a fairing support attached to said sail track. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein said fairing support is positioned between said sail track and said central segment of said fairing wrap. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , further comprising an additional plurality of said fairing support attached to said sail track. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein said fairing support comprises:
 a front wall;   a first side plate coupled to a left side of said front wall; and   a second side plated coupled to a right side of said front wall opposite said first side plate, wherein said left-side trailing edge attaches to said first side plate and said right-side trailing edge attaches to said second side plate.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein said front wall is formed with a radius of curvature greater than or equal to a radius of curvature of the curved surface of the sailboat mast. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said left-side lower fairing panel comprises a length dimension corresponding to a separation distance from a front side of the sailboat mast to a clew of a sail coupled to the sailboat mast. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein said right-side lower fairing panel comprises said length dimension of said left-side lower fairing panel. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said left-side lower fairing panel and said right-side lower fairing panel are integrally formed with said lower fairing central segment. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a control line and an outhaul block, said control line passing through a tack of said lower fairing and through said control block, with said control block configured to be suspended from a sail outhaul line. 
     
     
         14 . A fairing configured for sliding contact with a sailboat mast, said fairing comprising:
 a fairing wrap, comprising:
 a central segment sufficiently pliable to conform to a curved surface of a sailboat mast; 
 a left-side panel joined to said central segment, said left-side panel comprising a left-side trailing edge; 
 a right-side panel joined to said central segment opposite said left-side panel, said right-side panel comprising a right-side trailing edge; and 
 a fairing support positioned between said central segment, said left-side trailing edge, and said right-side trailing edge, said fairing support comprising:
 a front wall; 
 a first side plate coupled to a left side of said front wall; and 
 a second side plated coupled to a right side of said front wall opposite said first side plate; and 
 
   a sail track attached to said fairing support.   
     
     
         15 . The fairing of  claim 14 , wherein said sail track is attached to said first side plate of said fairing support. 
     
     
         16 . The fairing of  claim 14 , wherein said sail track is attached to said front wall of said fairing support. 
     
     
         17 . The fairing of  claim 16  wherein said fairing support is a first fairing support, and further comprising:
 a second of said fairing support positioned between said central segment, said left-side trailing edge, and said right-side trailing edge; 
 a first fairing plate attached to said first side plate of said fairing support and said first side plate of said second fairing support; and 
 a second fairing plate attached to said second side plate of said fairing support and said second side plate of said second fairing support. 
 
     
     
         18 . The fairing of  claim 17 , further comprising a roller furler attached to said faring support. 
     
     
         19 . The fairing of  claim 14 , wherein said sail track is configured to carry a plurality of sail cars configured to be coupled to a sail luff. 
     
     
         20 . The fairing of  claim 14 , wherein said sail track is configured to receive a bolt rope on a sail luff.