Definition of Planing

Or we could just use this, which is probably widest accepted version of 'planing' or to plane:

Definition of planing I heard when nobbut a nipper - aeons ago - was a boat overtaking it’s bow wave.

From the WS Rule 42 guidance to jurors and sailors for the Europe class:

DOWNWIND
1. Pumping
Pumping breaches are most likely to occur on reach and downwind legs. Both body pumping and sheet pumping are not permitted by 42.3(c)
Permitted actions:
• Trimming a sail in order to trim the boat in the prevailing conditions – PUMP 2
• Pumping a sail once per wave or gust of wind to initiate surfing or planing, but to qualify as surfing the boat must rapidly accelerate down the front of the wave – 42.3(c)
Prohibited actions:
• Repeatedly trimming a sail in order to fan it – PUMP 1
• Body pumping causing repeated flicks of the leach – PUMP 6
• Pumping a sail when already surfing or planing – PUMP 12
• A third consecutive unsuccessful attempt is prohibited – PUMP 8
Gathering evidence:
• Are there surfing or planing conditions?
• Does one pump per wave or gust of wind initiating surfing or planing?
• Is the boat pumping while already surfing or planing?
• Could the trim and release be a response to wind shifts, gusts or waves?
• Is the repeated trim and release fanning the sail?
• On a reach body pumping may best be seen from behind and to leeward of the Europe, in order to observe the athwartships body movement and the effect it has on the leach.
2. Rocking
After the start “S” sailing leads to the most critical breaches of the rule 42 in Europe Class in the run. Europe sailors sailing downwind change course continuously by luffing and bearing away using their bodies to facilitate steering the boat. This is allowed under rule 42.3(a) as long as there are waves and the boat changes course in phase with them. The amount of heeling must be consistent with the amount the boat turns. The best position for judges to observe both the effect of body movement on the boat and any steering by the sailor is from directly astern.
Permitted actions:
• Heeling the boat to leeward to facilitate heading up and heeling the boat to windward to facilitate bearing away, provided it is linked to wave patterns and the amount of boat’s heeling is consistent with the boat’s turn – ROCK 6
• Adopting static crew position when the boat’s stability is reduced – ROCK 4
Prohibited actions:
• Repeated rolling of the boat that is not linked to wave patterns – ROCK 7
• Repeated rolling of the boat in the absence of waves. - ROCK 7
• Repeated rolling of the boat in order to facilitate steering by making big body movements followed by the small change of course that in turn induces rocking – ROCK 6
• Standing up when making legal rolling and sitting down hard at the completion of the roll clearly propelling the boat – BASIC 4
• Single body movement followed by repeated rolling especially after inducing a roll to windward and before the roll is completed moving the body inward to counteract against it – ROCK 5
• In light air, inducing rolling by rhythmic repeated movements of the shoulder or head when sitting inside the boat on the traveller, with the centreboard out of the water and a loose leech
Gathering evidence:
• Is the competitor causing the boat to roll?
• Is the rolling helping the steering of the boat?
• Are there conditions for rolling the boat to facilitate steering?
• Is the amount of heeling consistent with the boat’s turn?
• Is it linked to the wave patterns?

The situation is a long way from ideal, but not as unsatisfactory as having no rules at all. its clear enough when its definitely not planing conditions, and clear enough when it is, but I see no way that the grey area in between can be anything else. I've seen so many on line arguments as to what is or what isn't "real" planing that it seems to me sensible that the rules don't open that can of worms.

Fact is one pump is never enough, it used to work when it was three pumps which was realistic.

So you get lots of 'one' pumps linked to become continuous, which imv is against the spirit of what is trying to be acheived.

Dinghys, well I've yet to experience one that does, on balance don't plane, they just displace a bit quicker on a wave, if you can get them over the hump. That takes more than just one sheet and it's time the whole thing got reviewed as to what realistically happens in real world condtions when there actually are waves. In other words black flag every inland event, sorry those ripple things you get, that chop, that aint enough to plane or displace a tad faster on.

When they are planing, pumping is the last thing you're worried about since it's pretty much survival windstrengths 25 kts plus.


Edited by iGRF - 26 Mar 19 at 10:48pm