A-Scow Racing Photos

[ChicagoNewport27]

I spent Labor day with friends on Pewaukee Lake, Pewaukee, Wisconsin (yes, longtime home of Harken) and snapped a few shots of the A-Scow races.

It was gorgeous sailing weather, so we took the runabout out near the race committee boat and enjoyed the show as the scows jockeyed for position and changed sails around the marks.

Enjoy!

The full album is here:

20070902 Labor Day on Lake Pewaukee
http://www.flickr.com/photos/howardr...7601940883724/

About the A-Scow
Dating back to the late 1800’s, the A scow is the largest, fastest, and most powerful of all the scows. The A scow has enjoyed a resurgence in competitive racing since it was retooled in 1979 and the class is now stronger than ever. Although the same basic size and shape as the original 1890's boats, it has modern, sophisticated rigging and gear needed to make this incredible boat perform and last for years. Clocked at over 25 MPH, this rocket ship is not for the novices. It requires practiced crew of 6 to handle this scow - the ultimate boat in scow racing

The A-Scow fleet is not made up of right-thinking individuals. This 38-foot, surfboard shaped monster weighs the same as the Melges 24 does, but flies around 1800 feet of downwind sail, and there's no keel. They capsize, fairly frequently - and they absolutely fly. A's have been clocked at 30 knots, and they'll do 15 without much drama.

The Pewaukee Lake Yacht Club has the largest active fleet of A-Scows Racing today. With an average of 12 boats on the line every Sunday, it is not only a racers dream, but also a sightseeing spectacle. The racing is always tight and a position change of 5 boats on any one leg is more of the norm than the rarity. The season is going to go down to the wire and any of the teams can win a race. With other strong fleets on Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, Lake Mendota, Wisconsin, Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota, White Bear Lake, Minnesota and several boats on Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin.

Visit the following websites for more information about these wonderful boats, and the sport of sailboat class racing:
- Pewaukee Lake A-Scow Fleet
- The Ultimate Ride, a feature length documentary film about the history of the A scow.
- Pewaukee Yacht Club

[AlpineSailor]

Great pics, lots of canvas flying, looks like a real hoot.