Peter Worsley - Wingsail/Electric

"Twice Lucky" has also been tested as a wingsail/electric boat. Using both windpower and electric power makes a very useful package which has more versatility then either pure electric or pure windpower. This is especially useful on the Norfolk Broads with its mix of rivers with wooded banks, rivers in open country, and series of lakes "The Broads".
Where there is open country, windpower can be used and electric power switched off, but when tree-lined or wooded areas are encountered the wind fails and these areas can be got through by using the electric option.
The electric motor can also be used to carry through tacks to windward, and manoeuvring into a mooring.
The trolling motor used is a modest 28lb thrust and this pushes the boat at about 3.5 knots on full power. This has proved to be slower than using the wind, where a speed of 5 knots has been reached.
This is good considering the small wing area of only 20sq ft on this experimental boat.

The wingsail makes transition from electric to wind very simple.
The only thing you need to do is switch of the motor and move the wing control lever to a position towards where the wind is coming from.
That is all there is to it. There is no sail to hoist, no ropes to pull, and you don't have to get out of your seat!.
If there is any wind at all it will give you some assistance.
If the wind fails, you need only switch on the motor again. To punch directly into the wind using electric, the wing control is centralised to move the wing and tail assembly to the neutral position, where it is perfectly streamlined for minimum windage.
On any kind of windy day, most of the time you will be using the wind, and you will massively extend your range from what it would be on your batteries alone.

"Rhino" 28lb 12v Trolling Motor

Battery box

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