AFFORDABLE CLASSIC Albacore
Classic Boat|February 2021
Uffa Fox was an unforgettable character and a great British yacht designer.
Peter Poland
AFFORDABLE CLASSIC Albacore

Born in 1898 on the Isle of Wight, he grew up on the Cowes waterfront and completed a seven year apprenticeship with SE Saunders covering boat and ship building and design before – at the tender age of 21 – setting up his own business in an old converted ‘floating bridge’ ferry.

Uffa hit the headlines in 1928 when he designed the first planing sailing dinghy. He had worked on high-speed motorboats and reckoned that the right shape of sailboat hull – if kept upright in a breeze – could also skim across the sea. He put his theory into practice with an International 14 (a restricted as opposed to One- Design class) called Avenger. In 57 starts in the 1928 season, she amassed an amazing 52 first places, two seconds and three thirds. To prove her seaworthiness (and his nerve?) Uffa also sailed her (three up) to Le Havre, raced against and beat the French, then sailed her home again.

Not surprisingly, his order book filled as his International 14s, National 12s and 18s began to dominate the pre-war racing scene. However, Uffa’s career as a designer of successful classes – many of which are still built today – really took off after the war.

Esta historia es de la edición February 2021 de Classic Boat.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición February 2021 de Classic Boat.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE CLASSIC BOATVer todo
Classic Boat

The Need For Speed

Saving lives at sea has always been bound to the speed of rescue, from the first rowing boats to the 60-knot, all-weather motorboats of today

time-read
8 minutos  |
March 2021
ROW YOUR BOAT
Classic Boat

ROW YOUR BOAT

There has been a steady rise in recreational rowing over the past few years, and the choice can be bewildering. What’s the right boat for you?

time-read
8 minutos  |
March 2021
Traditional Tool
Classic Boat

Traditional Tool

JOINER’S NAME STAMP

time-read
2 minutos  |
March 2021
Classic misuse of a word
Classic Boat

Classic misuse of a word

Real classic ownership involves rot, rust and reward

time-read
3 minutos  |
March 2021
Classic Boat

SCUD MISSILE

Herreshoff’s newly-restored Bar Harbor 31 Scud lit up the classic racing scene in the Med in 2020 with a double win at Cannes and Saint-Tropez

time-read
10 minutos  |
March 2021
BOSUN'S BAG
Classic Boat

BOSUN'S BAG

PRACTICAL TIPS FOR THE TRADITIONAL BOATER

time-read
4 minutos  |
March 2021
DOUG LEEN - Tugboat man
Classic Boat

DOUG LEEN - Tugboat man

Vietnam vet, park ranger, dentist, small-craft conservator and tugboat skipper.... meet Ranger Doug!

time-read
4 minutos  |
March 2021
CHANCE TO SAVE AN Albert Strange yawl
Classic Boat

CHANCE TO SAVE AN Albert Strange yawl

Chances at Albert Strange ownership don’t come up often, and Sheila II is the quintessential Strange – and one with a great history, too

time-read
4 minutos  |
March 2021
AFFORDABLE CLASSIC Salcombe Yawls
Classic Boat

AFFORDABLE CLASSIC Salcombe Yawls

A friend and I once decided that walking might make a change from sailing. So we set forth to walk from Branscombe to Bigbury, a 100-mile stretch of the south-west coastal path marked by knackering climbs and knee-wrenching descents.

time-read
3 minutos  |
March 2021
Cardiff, Wales - Save The Elena Maria Barbara!
Classic Boat

Cardiff, Wales - Save The Elena Maria Barbara!

A rare, 18th-century schooner replica, restored to the tune of around £1 million, could be abandoned if a buyer is not found soon.

time-read
2 minutos  |
February 2021