Parasail

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The Parasail or Parasailor (as the original Parasail construction is called today) or Wingaker is a spinnaker construction that uses a wing as a lift element . Compared to a conventional spinnaker, this is intended to achieve advantages in spinnaker sailing .

history

Between 1998 and 1999 the cruising sailor and paraglider pilot Hartmut Schädlich developed the first version of the wing spinnaker together with the aerospace engineer Manfred Kistler from the Paramarine company. In 1999 Hartmut Schädlich registered a spinnaker with a built-in paraglider as a utility model . Paramarine acquired the license rights to this patent. The Parasail , later Parasailor , was produced and sold by the Paramarine company from 2000–2002.

In 2002 Paramarine completely redesigned the sail , integrated the patented jetflaps into the wing to achieve better light wind properties, and called it Parasail 2 . After the company had returned the patent usage rights a year later, the company ISTEC.AG took over the production of the Parasailor according to the first principle without jetflaps and called the development Parasailor² . On behalf of the company ISTEC.AG, the design office Ralf-Grösel-Design developed two variants of the sail. Parasailor² and Parasail. The Parasail differs from the Parasailor² only in the structure of the wing, which is designed as a single sail. Under the direction of Ralf Grösel Design, around 30 Parasailor² sizes from approx. 40 m² to 400 m² sail area and around 25 sizes of Parsail from 24 m² to 300 m² sail area were created.

The company Paramarine, now operating under the name Skywalk, developed a spinnaker under the name Parasail 3 in 2003-2004 with a different buoyancy principle (buoyancy mainly through pulse deflection instead of buoyancy through negative pressure above the wing) - the sales name was Parasail Generation 3 . In the years 2007-2008, Istec combined the two buoyancy techniques in a Parasail 4 . The air-diverting flap was now again flowed around above air and should thus generate buoyancy again by flow around it. Finally, in 2009, Skywalk continued to produce Generation 3 of the Parasail under the new name Wingaker .

functionality

The different manifestations as a schematic drawing

What all variants have in common is that the trapped air is offered a way out of the sail. As a result, the air turbulence that is possible in a conventional spinnaker, which often causes unrest in the sail on the leeches , cannot arise. The spinnaker stands more calmly and can also be sailed one-handed.

In addition, a buoyancy force should be generated in order to lift the sailboat a little out of the water, which in turn relieves the bow and enables a higher speed.

Parasailor, Parasailor², Parasail Gen. 2

The escaping air fills a parachute-like wing, which is flowed around both above and below in order to bring about dynamic lift .

The air-filled pockets of the umbrella should also spread the sail and thus keep the shape of the sail stable. This should also enable the possibility of upwind sailing, as it is still held stable by the wing when used very flat.

Parasail Gen. 3, Wingaker

In contrast to the Parasailor and the no longer produced generation 2 of the Parasail, there is no pre-tensioned paraglider element, but a cap that completely covers the opening when viewed from the front. Despite the hole in the sail, no loss of propulsive power is to be expected, since the canopy absorbs all of the escaping air. The desired lifting force is achieved entirely by redirecting the air downward and the recoil it creates .

Since the canopy no longer has air chambers that have to be "inflated" first, this sail has significantly better light wind properties than the previous Parasail (or) generations.

Parasail Gen. 4th

In this sail, both dynamic lift and recoil are used to generate the lifting force. The canopy no longer covers the entire hole in the sail, but also has a narrow opening above the sail. Thus, flowing air is available both for the generation of the lift and for the deflection.

This canopy also has no air-filled chambers, so that this sail should also have very good light wind properties.

Advantages and disadvantages

The advantages of Parasail compared to conventional sails are lower bow loading, more stable stance and thus less yaw and fiddling. Active leech spreading also achieves a higher degree of inherent stability. Parasail helps to avoid shots from the sun and, according to the manufacturer, can travel at angles of 60–180  degrees to the wind . It should also be able to replace the gennaker .

Parasail is considerably more expensive than spinnaker or gennaker. In light wind you have a worse stance than with a spinnaker, because the wing is not yet fully effective.

Paraspi and Parages

A more recent development in the field of aerodynamic downwind sails are the Paragen and Paraspi from Parasail. With little wind (up to 4 ct.) The wing has no function, it is just a big hole (see middle picture of the Parasailor on the big Brombachsee below). The whole point of a large downwind sail, however, is to perform well when there is little wind. The development of the paragen and the paraspis reflects this development. Air scoops ensure that these sails are optimally positioned even in very little wind and that they perform very well. In medium and strong winds, these air scoops then act as a valve to avoid the dreaded sunshine. At the same time, enough pressure builds up in the scoops in stronger winds to ensure inherent stability (see also bowline 1/12). Thanks to the less complex construction, the Paragen can even be driven on a roller system and dangerous mountain maneuvers with exorbitantly large recovery hoses are a thing of the past. Paraspi and Paragen only cost about half of comparable wing sails.

Press

Tests by sailing magazines have confirmed that the Parasail is suitable for practical use, although the upwind properties claimed by the manufacturer were not confirmed.

photos

Web links