Lightning vs. Scot

Last winter at Lake Eustis, FL, a Lightning owned by the Haydens was permitted to start with about 40 Scots, including Jeff/Amy Linton [who won overall] and Harry/Carrie Carpenter [2nd]. The Hayden family own at least 3 Lightnings, including #2 which Fisk Hayden restored. They have been successfully racing Lightnings for decades. As you know, a Lightning must be raced with 3 bodies aboard, which gives a 2-up Scot a weight advantage under 12 or so knots of air. So the Lightning was in the 1st third of the fleet and didn't pull away much the first light air day. But on Day 2 when it was a bit windier 12-16, the Lightning led around the course and pulled away significantly downwind with it's huge chute. The Scot class allowing 2-3-4 bodies is a much better deal, in my opinion.

We have one lightning that comes out and races pretty regularly on our small and usually not very windy lake. We keep times for all finishers and use the portsmouth numbers to handicap in mixed fleets. We have a strong Thistle fleet at our lake, and we have races where all boats start together, and others where we have separate starts for the Thistle and the Scot fleets. While it may seems "fair" to some to lump the Scot and Lightning together, it will be better to use the portsmouth numbers. That way is a one-hour race, if you finish within a minute or so of the winning Lightning, (in a Scot) you win. In our fleet, the Scot and Thistle have about a 10% difference in portsmouth rating, so in a short 30 minute race, if you finish 3 minutes behind a winning thistle, you are in the hunt. It keeps people interested in reeling in the Thistles. Have fun, Phil Scheetz FS 4086

All sailboats are slow. Get comfortable with it.

A well-sailed Lightning will usually clean the clocks of a Scot. As a hard-chine boat, they compare more favorably to a Hampton One. A Scot points normally around 45 degrees. A Hampton, around 36 degrees, and I imagine a lightning is no worse than 38 degrees. So, in any breeze, it is game, set, match. As to sailing handicap on lakes, etc., using the Portsmouth -- it can be done somewhat fairly. As many lakes preclude the setting of ideal courses, that sometimes detracts from the accuracy of the Yardstick. But if enough races are sailed in a series, the Yardstick can even itself out so to speak. The problem with the Yardstick is getting participation to send in results. Many of the class data points are years or even decades old. For instance, we at FBYC race handicap one day a year - our July 4 Long Distance race, and the Scots almost always get clobbered by the Mobjacks which actually have a HIGHER Dpn number than the Scots (91.3 vs. 89.6). What is a Mobjack? It is a Thistle on steroids: It's Dpn should be close to the Thistle which is the base number of the Portsmouth - all wind conditions being 86. But the problem is that Mobjack data points are very old. As already mentioned, the Lightning is 87.0 Phil - you said "In our fleet, the Scot and Thistle have about a 10% difference in portsmouth rating, so in a short 30 minute race, if you finish 3 minutes behind a winning thistle, you are in the hunt. It keeps people interested in reeling in the Thistles." I am a bit confused unless you are purposely modifying the Yardstick. In a 30 min. race, you should be "in the hunt" with a little over a minute separation. Sloop John B.

The Flying Scot is built far better than a Lightning and is much more comfortable. I have beat Lightings more than once in racing conditions. Michael Mittman FS# 5804, Fleet 23 Corinthian Sailing Club White Rock Lake Dallas, TX