E Scow Sailboats for Sale

Drawing Diagram

Builder drawing

Hull Type

Scow · centerboard

Rig

Fractional Sloop

LOA

28' · 8.53 m

First year

1924

The E Scow is widely considered the quintessential American inland lake racing machine, a 28foot highperformance flatbottomed vessel that has defined competitive sailing in the Midwest and beyond for over a century. Originally designed by Arnold Meyer Sr. in 1923, the E Scow has evolved from a woodenhulled classic into a sophisticated, modern racing platform built primarily by Melges Performance Sailboats. The boat’s distinctive "ironing board" shape is a marvel of hydrodynamic engineering; while it appears wide and stable at rest, it is designed to be sailed at a significant angle of heel—typically around 15 to 25 degrees. When heeled, the scow’s effective waterline narrows and lengthens, allowing it to plane at remarkably low wind speeds and achieve speeds that rival modern carbonfiber sportboats. This unique hull form requires a crew of three or four, who must balance the boat with precision to maintain the delicate equilibrium between speed and stability.