Uffa Fox
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Uffa Fox (1898-1972) was an English boat designer and sailing enthusiast.
[edit] Life and works
He was responsible for many of the developments which have contributed to the modern popularity of Dinghy sailing. He first introduced the technique of planing to dinghy racing, and was influential in the introduction of trapezing. In about 1943 he designed a 27' lifeboat to be dropped from Vickers Warwick aircraft when rescuing downed aircrew or mariners. These boats could be released from under the aeroplane retarded by six 32' diameter parachutes.Apart from having a highly successful racing, cruising and sailing career, he ran successful boat design and boatbuilding businesses in the south of England. He designed many of the significant classes of boats around today, including the planing International 14, the Flying Fifteen, the National 12, the Albacore, the Firefly, the Javelin, the Jollyboat and the Day sailer. Many of his designs exploited the wartime development of moulded plywood.
His character is perhaps best indicated by an escapade whereby he led a group of Sea Scouts, without their parents' consent (they thought it was a weekend sailing camp), across the English Channel and up the Seine to within a few kilometres of Paris.
