Planing

Having windsurfed for many years, and sailing a Scot for a few, you need a lot of breeze, good spinnaker handling, and a wave to surf down really helps, in a Scot. The degree to which the board rides on a very short section of the rockerline on a windsurfing shortboard, is not the same as a Scot planing. Windsurfing boards also plane very easily on a beam reach and even above, where the Scot likes to plane at lower angles. Get the board up, get the spinnaker driving, fit the boat into the wave to surf, get the people to the back of the bus, and the Scot will lumber downwind on a plane. It's like the difference between a 7 series BMW and Ferrari. On the other hand, I would much rather drive the 7 series to Ephraim. The Ferrari mike not be as comfy for the duration. Enjoy the ride, Phil Scheetz FS 4086

Guys . The Scot - Windsurfer analogy is not that of two sports cars, rather it's more like your souped up family sedan to a skateboard. On the Scot I had great times planing, pretty much always in control. Three occasions comes to mind. Once with my young son under reefed main only, once with a non sailor crew and two kids when the impending storm winds arrived, and once with a first time racer, just the two of us racing in lots of wind and large waves. The point is that you can have lots of sailing excitement in the Scot and be pretty sure that you will arrive back at the dock without going over. In regard to the original point of how to get the Scot planing the following is important. - A clean bottom. I moored my Scot on Long Island Sound for a week. There was no antifouling on the hull. By the end of the week I could feel the slime impeding the boat. - Centerboard at least half way up or more. The centerboard has a lot of drag and if you leave it down when it is not needed the boat will have a harder time planing. On the broad reach with the main half way out the Scot will steer better with less rudder deflection and drag when the centerboard is at least 1/2 way up. - The vang should be on, at least snug or harder. Merry Christmas. Gabor Karafiath FS 3512

Don't get me wrong guys. One of the main reasons that I have a Scot today is that I was looking for something to do with my kids, a sport where I could sail and compete, and NOT have to worry about whether I am planing... When I go to our lake, I can race twice a week and not plane all summer, and still have a blast. In windsurfing I chased the wind and got tired of chasing windy days. When all the boats are the same, planing is optional. How often you will plane depends on wind, clean bottom, decent sails and skill level. Have fun, Phil Scheetz FS 4086

A good breeze (about 15 knots +), reasonibly flat water, center board up at least half way, your weight aft in the boat. Crack off on to a beam reach and go! Add spinnaker for more of a thrill. We plane the Scot all the time. Surfing downwind on waves is fun too. There are videos of Scots planning on FlyingScot.com Photo of Flying Scot on a plane near Corinthian Sailing Club on White Rock Lake, Dallas, TX, home of Fleet 23 http://www.cscsailing.org/pictures_2006/New%20Years%202006_3.jpg http://www.cscsailing.org/pictures_2006/New%20Years%202006_4.jpg I'm the forward crew. It was blowing about 20 to 30 knots. Just for fun, there is also a crazy modified Scot planning on YouTube.com search "Turbo Pig" -Michael Michael Mittman FS# 5804, Fleet 23 Corinthian Sailing Club White Rock Lake Dallas, TX

Hey all, I am definitely still getting used to our Scot - so I probably am the least qualified to speak on the subject - except to share my planing tale. We had just bought the boat, so it was the first time out for us in her. A good friend of mine and experienced dinghy racer was as excited as we were about the new boat and wanted to join us to go out. It was blowing 20 with gusts to 25. None of us knew the finer points of a Scot - how tight or loose should the rig be, etc. The sails that came with the boat were all old. No spinnaker. That said, three of us went out, wife sat forward, friend drove and I held the jib sheet (sitting amidships). Board was down... We probably planed about 4 or 5 times with top speed (according to the GPS) of 8.9 kts. To be clear, it took all three of us - weight -wise (and my friend is a big fellow), to keep the boat as close to flat as possible,... but a beam reach and a good lift and sheet everything in and hold on. So, yes, I'm sure that folks more familiar with their Scot could plane with less wind. We had a blast though - and I became a true Scot believer that day. btw - the boat is #907 built in the mid-60's; sat for two years before I bought her; floor is soft; and boom was warped in a fire and to keep the main up, we had to bungee a ratchet in the winch to the mast. -Stu "Abeo" Flying Scot #907 ~~~/)~~~