44ft. FLYING THIRTY BERMUDIAN CRUISER/RACER – HUFF OF ARKLOW
HUFF of ARKLOW, built in 1951 still looks remarkable over seventy years after she was first designed by Uffa Fox for his friend and keen racer Douglas Heard. Douglas was a retired RAF pilot and the stepped sheer is believed to have been incorporated into the design to assist getting aboard when alongside.
Douglas wanted a fast, weatherly racer capable of accommodating a crew of six. Essentially the design is a scaled-up Flying Fifteen, also designed by Uffa in 1947 and still raced competitively in World Championships. Probably the most famous Flying Fifteen is COWESLIP presented to the Prince Philip and Princess Elizabeth as a wedding present. Uffa designed eight Flying designs but only HUFF was built to the Thirty size. The boats name derived from H for Heard and UFF from Uffa. A totally unique and particularly special yacht which heralded a new era of yacht design, the great-grandfather of all modern fin and skeg racers.
HUFF of ARKLOW was extensively raced in the 1950s to Bermuda, Iceland, Faroes and Azores from her homeport of Killarney. In early 1960, Douglas sold HUFF to J A Mackeown of Dun Laoghaire. She won the Faulkner Cup in 1962 and again in 1964.
She was sold in the early 1970s to H W Brittain of Whitstable and J H Sharples of Macclesfield. In the late 1970s, HUFF was subject to an arson attack and was written-off. Chris Allen bought the wreck for a nominal sum and had her restored in Southampton for charter and sail training for young people.
In 1999 HUFF was bought by the EISCA (Eyemouth International Sailing Craft Association) an association dedicated to preserving and maintaining traditional boats that have shaped the evolution of yachting. Restoration of HUFF began in Cornwall at Mashfords Boatyard in 2009 led by Dominic Bridgman. With Heritage Lottery funding and specified funding from the National Historic Ships UK, work was completed in 2015. Purchased by the current owner in 2019 and fully refurbished in Bristol over the following 6 months. Change of plan now dictates a sale of the remarkable and totally unique vessel.
Double skin mahogany hull with outer skin laid fore and aft, all re-copper fastened to steam bent oak timbers and re-splined with cedar and double stringers making an extremely strong hull. Teak laid decks. Mahogany brightwork and cockpit joinery. New floors. Three-ton ballast keel.
Refurbished original style accommodation for six crew in the part open-plan interior.
Self-draining cockpit with tiller steering.
28hp BETA Diesel Engine with hydraulic drive allowing the engine to be mounted further forward for better racing trim.
New Raymarine navigation system
Chart Plotter
New tactical compasses
BROKERS NOTE:
“A true ‘classic’ in every sense and a remarkable survivor thanks to the dedication of three remarkable enthusiasts in the 1970s, 1990s and more recently in 2019. A once in a lifetime opportunity to own probably the most famous ‘modern’ racing yacht of her time. Ground-breaking, legendary design, first offshore yacht to feature fin & skeg, masthead rig and planing hull capable of over 23 knots, as recorded during the Azores Race in 1960”
Fully refurbished by specialist wooden boat restorers in Bristol during spring and summer 2020 at a cost of approaching £55,000. An ideal yacht for the UFFA FOX events and classic regattas in Cowes and beyond.
GUIDE: £25,000
LYING: Bristol
VIEWING: Through the agents – CLASSIC YACHT BROKERAGE – 01905-356482 –
DISCLAIMER: Classic Yacht Brokerage offer the details and photographs of this vessel in good faith as a guide but cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information or images, or warrant the condition of the vessel, machinery or rig. Buyers should instruct their representative, agents or their surveyors to investigate such details as the buyer requires validated. This vessel is offered subject to prior sale, price change, or withdrawal without notice.
