 |
|
UFFA FOX ON-LINE contact: admin@uffafox.com (Site last updated 11/05/2013)
|
|
Copies of Uffa’s plans for sale
|
|
Links to: Classic Boat Museum (East Cowes) National Maritime Museum (Falmouth)
|
|
|
UFFA FOX DESIGNS on Facebook
|
|||||||
|
CLASSIC BOAT MUSEUM The Isle of Wight Classic Boat Museum has relocated from Newport to East Cowes. The new site is split into a Gallery containing exhibitions, library, photographs (check these out) and archives, and a Museum where the boats reside. Both areas contain loads of interesting Uffa exhibits. Visit the website for more details Classic Boat Museum. Even better if you are in Cowes visit the museum. Here are a few tasters of Uffa design / builds that are on show:
Restored Airborne Transatlantic International Flying Fifteen Tender to Fairey Lifeboat Rowboat Fourteen Coweslip Bloodhound Duckling
|
|||||||
|
FRESH BREEZE - Update New - We found this blog to give a bit of background to Fresh Breeze's demise Fresh Breeze Blog Some pictures of Fresh Breeze. The bad news that she is in a poor state of repair and is to be dismantled to become a tree house on the film set as Michael Caine's shelter in the film Journey 2 - The Mysterious Island.
FLYING TWENTY FIVE (MIKE DOWNUNDER) I finally got to achieve my aim of sailing on the Flying 25, Flying Fox, built by Paul Woodman in Melbourne during a visit to Australia over Christmas and New Year. The first impression is that the hull is a stretch of the Flying Fifteen but what has happened to the keel! Paul started out with a traditional Flying series keel but realised pretty quickly that if he was going to compete on handicap with modern boats he was going to have to optimise the keel. The keel has been through several iterations and is now settled on what is a pretty standard modern racing keel. The rudder too has been upgraded. So on Boxing Day I set sail from Royal Brighton YC, with Paul and Peter Dove to look after me, heading north with wind just aft of the beam, spinnaker up in about 12-15 knots of breeze. 'Fox', as she is known locally, picked up speed and was soon up on the plane. It is not as dramatic getting up on to the plane as the Fifteen but plane she most certainly does. Paul offered me the helm as we headed up to watch the start of the Melbourne to Hobart Race. She is beautifully balanced boat requiring almost no effort to steer even on a beam reach in a decent breeze. We milled around the start area and once they were off we dropped the spinnaker and beat back down with the fleet, keeping out of the way! Going to windward she likes to sail with a good bit of heel as you can see in the pictures below. Crew weight is nowhere near as significant as it is on the Fifteen so the good sense in changing to a long fin and bulb was immediately obvious. Sailing upwind she is a wet ride in a breeze in true Flying style but with rolled decks and sealed tanks under the fore and aft decks she is very safe. In Cowes there is a traditional Boxing Day race where it is usually necessary to take measures to keep warm. Apparently Melbourne is the same as Peter treated us to coffee laced with whiskey and pastries on the return leg - much appreciated. When we got back Peter asked my wife if I had enjoyed myself. 'Well he hasn't stopped grinning yet', she said. Paul is hugely enthusiastic about 'Fox' and is always looking for mods to improve her. However be would also like to build a bigger version, 50 foot plus, to take part primarily in offwind biased passage races where he is sure that following the success of the '25 he could compete with the big boys. Anyone interested in sponsoring? Mike
(Thanks to wife Wendy for staying ashore to take the photos - it is Paul, Mike, Peter from aft in the middle photo)
FLYING FIFTY PICTURES Last year we unfortunately had to report that the Flying Fifty, Uffa's largest design to be built, was broken up after being abandoned in Florida. We have recently been contacted by Lee Mattos Cheever, first mate aboard her in 1980, who has kindly provided these photographs which are a much better way to remember her.
UFFA' PHOTOGRAPHS The Isle of Wight Classic Boat Museum has been given a large collection of Uffa's photographs on glass plates. They will shortly form part of an exhibition. Please contact them for more details.
UFFA ON FILM A TREAT FOR UFFA ENTHUSIASTS We recently found a piece of old film of Uffa commentating on, and sailing in, the Round The Island Race with Max Aitken on Lumberjack circa 1955. It has been converted and an extract can be viewed on the link below. WATERWITCH There are some sad pictures of the remains of Waterwitch (Uffa build to Knud Reimer's design) on this website: http://www.flickr.com/photos/86184903@N00/sets/72157617057847916/detail/ |
|||||||
FLYING 35 MODEL
Following the success of the modern version of his Flying 25 (see update below), Paul Woodman is exploring the potential of a Flying 35! Paul writes:
The F35 MODEL is a 1:8.5 scale model and is being developed to assess its potential as a full size build. We have deepened the keel and rudder to modern standards. We have applied current thinking to the foil sections and bulb shape with the aim of increasing stability and reducing weight coupled with a slight increase in sail area.
The model hull and deck are moulded in Polyester resin, one layer of 225 chopped strand mat and one layer of 10ozs cloth with cedar deck beams. The build is very light similar to that of an "A" Class lake racing model of similar weight and size. The fins are light weight redwood and the bulb is of lead producing a ballast ratio of around 59%. Sailing weight is 27.3lbs. The mast and spars are of carbon fibre and the sails are light weight kevlar/mylar sail cloth. We have used a two channel Hiteck radio system to control the RMG sail winch and rudder servo. The F35 model sails beautifully in all conditions and can plane in a fresh following breeze.
To date the F35 model has scaled well and has provided very pleasing results. (Pictures of F35 model on the lake in Moorabbin Victoria now added).
Other links below
may be are interest:
Modern Jolly Boat Under Construction (Updated 22 July 2007 - lots of pictures) See this Blog for update :
Uffa Fox On-line is controlled by Tony Dixon, 26 Magdalen Crescent, Cowes, Isle of Wight, PO31 8EP. Tony owns the rights to Uffa's plans, books and record. The website is managed by Tony's son, Mike.