AIR POPPY

In August 2021 my wife and I are sailing in the Balearic Islands, particularly around Menorca our favorite destination. We stop in coves that are still quite wild anchored to moorings or less often to buoys.

There's not much air and cooking is a real ordeal in the suffocating heat. So I try to cobble together a fabric windsock-type aerator from a rush-structured beach tent left in one of the boat's lockers. I fold it in 8, cut, tape, string and crush a hoop to slide it through the deck hatch at cooking level. On the deck, a patatoid shape protrudes into the wind, like a flower petal held in place by a clamp.

It's almost a surprise, given how quickly and intuitively it was made, but the air circulates in the cabin giving it a much more pleasant feel.

Later we analyze how quick this improvised prototype is to install, thanks to its single attachment and how it doesn't need to be held aloft by a halyard so it can be used in different places on a sailboat, on powerboats or catamarans. What's more the rigid structure ensures that the profile is held in place, thus improving airflow. So many advantages over other windsocks.

Back on land in September, I'm working on making a model that will be industrialized and sold by the end of 2023.

The "petal" inspired the company name Air Poppy SAS, and the windsocks are described as freestanding. We keep production to a minimum in our workshop near Bordeaux and take care of all assembly, including subcontracted sewing.

Our product is able to reduce the electrical consumption of boats and limit the use of air conditioning on board. So many savings and fiendly with environment.