Uffa Fox (1898-1972)

webmstr — Wed, 09 Jul 2025 22:59:03 +0000

Uffa Fox was born in 1898 on the Isle of Wight and grew up on Cowes waterfront. When his school days were over he began an apprenticeship with SE Saunders, boatbuilders. Even then they were engaged with high sped craft like Maple LeafIV which was capable of over 50 knots. Uffa’s apprenticeship lasted seven years covering boatbuilding, shipbuilding and design. At the age of 21 he set up his own boat building business. As premises he acquired an aged ‘floating bridge’ which had linked Cowes to East Cowes. The central part was roofed over to provide a workshop. The prow at one end formed a gangway to the shore and the other became a slipway for launching boats into the river. The passenger accommodation was converted to a drawing office and living space. We would not like to give the impression that he was a model citizen. As an example he was made a Scout Master by the Sea Scout Committee. On one of his excursions as Scout Master and at a time when he was unemployed he dediced that it was time to “blood” the troup. He took “Valhalla’s” whaleboat with his Scouts to France-in the summer holidays. There was a total of 10 crew ages ranging from 14 to 18. Uffa swore them all to secrecy and told them to tell everyone that they would be camping in the Solent area. In fact they were trying to reach Paris via the Seine. On returning home they were “greeted “ by some very angry parents. The committee resigned en bloc and Uffa was charged with irresponsibility and placing young lives in jeopardy. He became a martyr to the scouts but the devil to the parents. It turned out that the “team” hadn’t quite made Paris but had turned back only 20 miles short. (Tony Dixon has a very amusing illustrated talk on the trip which is well worth booking for your yacht club). Uffa was the father of the planing dinghy. Having worked on high speed power craft, Uffa believed tha if a dinghy hull were made the right shape, and her crew held her upright, she could be made to plane over the surface. He was a little diffident about it but finally gave his theories full rein in the International Fourteen Footer Avenger. In 57 starts in 1928 she gained 52 first places, two seconds and three thirds including winning the coveted Prince of Wales Cup. A large order book was soon built up and for many years his were the most sought after designs. Following the success of the Fourteens he applied the concept to other classes. He designed and built two sailing canoes which Roger De Quincy and himself took across the Atlantic and brought back many trophies including the International Canoe Trophy. Uffa was forever coming up with new designs and was always ready to prove them with a practical demonstration. A typical example was Vigilant, a 22 Square Metre with such extreme light displacement that […]

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Letter from Uffa Fox to Fred Shepherd, October 1946

webmstr — Sun, 09 Apr 2023 23:30:10 +0000

Uffa Fox is a legendary boating character best known as a boat designer and builder. Websites uffafox.com and wikipedia provide good summaries of his life and achievements. An image of this letter is already included on this site. Unfortunately it is not the clearest of copies – so here is an easily-read plain text version, for easier digestion! Uffa Fox Yacht Designers & builders Medina Yard Cowes England Telephone: Cowes 555 Telegrams: “Uffa Fox, Cowes” 12th October, 1946 Fred Shepherd, Esq., M.I.N.A., Carn Brear, King’s Somborne, Hants. My dear Sir It was indeed a great pleasure to meet you again after all these years, and to see you looking so fit and well. I am under way with another book, and wonder what designs you have that you would like me to put in it. Could you turn this over in your mind, and then send them on to me? Prints will do us well, for, as you know, we trace all our plans up, to get a uniform style of plan throughout the book. A chapter I should very much like to write is: The Work of Fred Shepherd, through the past (say) 50 years, and wonder if you have a range of plans and thoughts that would paint this picture. The boat I have in mind to start the story is CORAL, which you designed and built in 1901, and I wonder if you have any of her plans about? It really does not matter if they are a bit tattered and torn, as we can stick them together and retrace them. Then, 40 years after, comes the AMOKURA, a most marvellous ocean racer; and I believe Moody’s are building one to your design this year. So in those three boats you spanned 45 years. Congratulations! I think this would make a marvellous chapter, and do hope and trust you can think this out; and possibly I could get in my car one fine day, drive up to see you, now you are so close, have a yarn, and look over your plans and thoughts, and return. Say Wednesday next, 16th? If I caught the 7.50 boat, I could be with you at 10 a.m., so we could have a couple of hours’ yarn, a bite of food, and I should return with a sheaf of plans immediately after lunch – or later, if you thought best. Hope this will fit with your ideas of things, and looking forward to meeting you again. Best wishes, Yours ever [Signed on behalf of] Uffa Fox P.S. I just have to dash off to London to a Y.R.A. meeting, we hope you will excuse my not signing this letter. A few suggestions:- CORAL 65 tons NEBULA 50 tons THANET 52 tons OTTER 19 tons (or SCOLOPAX 20 tons) AMOKURA and 1946 Moody boat &c., &c.,&c.

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Uffa Fox Archives - Amokura: a classic boat archive

Uffa Fox (1898-1972)

Letter from Uffa Fox to Fred Shepherd, October 1946