Flying Scot Daysailer

Characteristics: The Flying Scot is a 19-foot day sailer which has a large, deep cockpit, making it ideal for casual sailing for a skipper and a few friends. The boat is also a competitive racer, providing a crew of two or three a great boat for competition at all levels. The Flying Scot is easily trailered and rigged, and can be launched in as little as 12" of water.

Rig Description: The Flying Scot is fractionally rigged, sporting 191 square feet of sail area between the jib and main. With it's small jib and relatively powerful main, sail handling is a breeze for short-handed crews. For the more adventurous, and the racers, the Flying Scot flies an easily handled spinnaker which brings total downwind sail area to 200 square feet.

Size: Length, overall: 19 feet. Length, waterline: 18 feet six inches. Beam: Six feet, nine inches.

Hull: Fiberglass. Glass reinforced poly-resin, with mat and bi-directional roving into hull and deck molds with as many as 6 layers. Balsa-core blocks. Twelve cubic feet of styrofoam flotation give 600 pounds of reserve positive flotation, making the boat unsinkable.

Other Considerations: A slightly tunneled hull design, hard bilges and weighted centerboard provide a strong righting moment, making for a boat which feels stable and safe. Still, the Scot is a low-displacement design which sits low in water, and has a flat, tapered shape in the stern. This allows the Scot to plane in the right conditions. Weighing in at about 1,200 pounds (with trailer), almost any car can tow one to the water.

The Bottom Line: Big day-sailing fun for minimal sailing bucks. Easy launching from a ramp or beach means no slip fees. Easily handled rig for short-handed or single-handed sailing. Planing hull means big speed in the right conditions. Also, many used boats are available for low dollar budgets.