Free-Sail System Sailboard Simulator

As early as 1964, free-sail systems, now known as sailboards, began sailing on waters in the United States as a new sport. The sailboards have improved considerably over the past eighteen years, requiring the participant to be trained before getting on a sailboard in the water. Numerous devices called simulators have shown up in different parts of the country. These simulators are used to teach the new sailor of the free-sail system how to hold the sail, steer the boat, and all other sailing maneuvers before going on the water. Most of them consist of at least four legs that spread out from the center for stability and have a sailboard or section of a sailboard attached on top that rotates around an axis. Many beginners have been injured when falling from the simulator by twisting an ankle on the extended legs of the simulator or when getting hit by the rotating board. Often boards have been cut to make them shorter, but they are still longer than they are wide and will hit the student or instructor when stepping off or near the board while it is rotating. It is also difficult to tell the bow from the stern on a midsection board. There is a need for a safer simulator on which to instruct beginners.

The present invention is an improvement in the simulator because it is lower to the ground and is a complete circle which eliminates the hazards associated with the present state of the art simulators. This simulator rotates around a simple bearing in combination with inverted casters to eliminate malfunctioning when used on sandy beaches. It is also comprised of a hull-shaped elevated surface to provide the feel of a sailboard under the beginner's feet.

Referring to the drawings, the present invention can be better understood in one embodiment consisting of two discs, one being the base(1) and the other the deck(2), which are held together by a bearing(3) but apart by inverted casters(4), having a skid-resistant surface(5), on the deck, shaped as a hull with bow(6) and stern(7) and swivel joint mounting hole(8), and it may have an adjustable dampener(9) with spring tension, as shown in detail A-A, comprising of a dampener pad(10), a spring(11), adjusting nut(12), anchoring nut(13), washers(14), and shaft(15). The edges of the hull shape on the deck disc, as well as the edges of both discs, are rounded for safety. A cylindrical guard(16) extends below the deck and on the outside radius of the casters so that fingers are kept away from the casters when the simulator is turning.