Wingsail

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BMW Oracle Racing USA-17 from the 2010 America's Cup, with a rigid mainsail wingsail, and a conventional jib at the fore

A wingsail is a built-up mechanical structure, much like an airplane wing, that is fitted to a marine vessel in place of conventional sails. The geometry of wingsails provides more lift, and a better lift-to-drag ratio, than traditional sails.

Wingsails are often composed of one or more elements on the leading edge with an 'adjustable flap' element on the trailing edge; the angle of incidence of both front and rear elements determines the overall lift. The trailing element can be divided along the height of the wing into several flaps in order to provide twist. Wingsails are typically fitted on racing craft such as multihulls and need to be lightweight. They are typically manufactured from carbon fiber frames and have a retractable skin.

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v t e Sails, spars and rigging

Rigs	Bermuda rig Cat rig Full rig Gaff rig Junk rig Ljungstrom rig Mast aft rig

Sail types	Asymmetrical spinnaker Junk sail Lugsail Parafoil Ringtail Spinnaker Turbosail Rotorsail Wingsail

Sails (sail plan)	Course Crab claw Driver Extra Fisherman Genoa Gennaker Jib Lateen Mainsail Moonraker Royal Skysail Screecher Spanker Spinnaker Spritsail Staysail Studding Topgallant Topsail Trysail Watersail

Sail anatomy and materials	Clew Foot Head Leech Luff Roach Tack Throat Peak Dacron Technora Kevlar Twaron

Spars	Boom Bowsprit Boomkin Dolphin striker a/k/a Martingale Pelican striker Fore-mast Gaff Jackstaff Jibboom Jigger-mast Jury rig Main-mast Mast Mizzen-mast Truck Spinnaker pole Spreader Sprit Topmast Yard

Rigging components	Backstay Block Boomkicker Braces Buntlines Chainplates Cleat Clevis pin Clewlines Cunningham Downhaul Earing Fairlead Forestay Gasket Gooseneck Gunter Guy Halyard Kicker Lazy jack Outhaul Parrel beads Peak Preventer Ratlines Running rigging Shackle Spinnaker chute Standing rigging Sheet Shroud Stay mouse Stays Throat Topping lift Trapeze Traveller Turnbuckle Vang Windex

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Wingsail

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See also