| CPC B63H 9/08 (2013.01) [B63H 9/0621 (2020.02); B63H 9/0628 (2020.02); B63H 2009/082 (2013.01); B63H 2009/086 (2013.01); B63H 9/1021 (2013.01)] | 11 Claims | 

| 
               1. A vessel provided with a deck, with a mast and with a boom or with a sprit, said mast being equipped with a sail with a halyard for hoisting said sail, 
            said sail including at least three sides, namely two longitudinal sides, constituting a luff and a leech, as well as a lower transverse side or foot, this sail being provided, along said luff, with a plurality of protruding dollies formed to be able to be moved along said mast; 
                said mast being provided longitudinally with a guide member, said dollies being formed to cooperate with said guide member with the possibility of sliding during lowering and hoisting operations of said sail, 
                wherein: 
                said sail consists of rigid panels, articulated two by two; 
                said mast is equipped with a transit part positioned at the lower end of said guide member, this transit part having a flared lower portion in the direction of the base of said mast and being open at its upper and lower ends, 
                so that during the hoisting of said sail with said halyard, each of said dollies of said sail is automatically received in said transit part by its lower open end and is progressively guided along it to leave it through its upper opening and cooperate with said guide member, while during its lowering, each dolly is automatically and progressively disengaged from said guide member, is received in said transit part, moves along it, then escapes from it by its lower open end by following the movement of the portion of the sail with which it is integral. 
               |