Firefly (dinghy)
British racing dinghy designed by Uffa Fox, used as the single-handed boat at the 1948 Olympics.
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The Firefly is a British sailboat designed by Uffa Fox as a one-design racing dinghy, first built in 1946. It was used as the single-handed boat at the 1948 Olympics, crewed by one person, though it is not considered an Olympic class in the same sense as other classes. The design has been produced continuously by multiple builders, with over 4,270 completed as of summer 2023.
Background
The Firefly was designed by Uffa Fox as a one-design racer and first built in 1946. Initial production was by Fairey Marine in the United Kingdom from 1946 until the end of 1972.
The first four production boats were purchased by Sir Geoffrey Loules, commodore of the Itchenor Sailing Club, and named Fe, Fi, Fo, and Fum. The National Maritime Museum Cornwall notes that the Firefly was one of the first production dinghies built in large numbers, long before glass-reinforced plastic boats, and that its initial cost of £65 put dinghy sailing within financial reach of many people. The museum holds a Firefly (hull number 4, named Fum), not Fe.
Did You Know?
- The Firefly was designed and introduced under its own name; the 'Sea Swallow' was a different Uffa Fox design from the 1930s.
More in Olympic sailing classes
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Firefly (dinghy) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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