I'm a believer!
Until yesterday, I was one of those guys highly sceptical of the Daysailer's ability to plane. DS owners bragging about how they "planed across the lake" I thought just didn't know what planing meant.
But yesterday, however brief, I had that elation I used to get sailing Lasers--ecstacy, really, and in a Daysailer!
The November wind was very squirlly, with abrupt headers and 20 knot gusts coming down onto the river surface, as opposed to across it where you can see them coming. I had my wife and two small kids on board, so I was sailing pretty fat and safe.
All the conditions were perfect (evidently): We were on a broad reach, main fully raised. The kids were below, their combined 90# down at the keel, amidship. The board was halfway up. With the combined weight of mom and dad of 275# slightly aft on the rail, an 18+ knot gust lifted us right out of the water. Well, you know, relatively.
After about 15 seconds of sustained plane, it felt as though the gust would take us right up the riverbank; alas, I was convinced to jibe.
So now I know the stories are true. I can definately see this happening more often with a spinnaker. I think--and this is where I'd like some of the more experienced DS owners out there to chime in--that the weight arrangement above with the board raised 50% provided the plane-friendly ballast.
What are the physics here? How can I get his to happen again with more predictability?