Firefly

[Overomtimistix]

I was talking to a chap at the sailing club yesterday and he said that the Firefly dinghy was originally a N12 design.
I read that it was designed by Uffa King along the lines of the 12 but was it ever a legal N12 design?
thanks
dan

[johnk]

I don't think that the Firefly ever met the Nat 12 rules until after the four plank limit went. Whether a Firefly fits our current Nat 12 rules I do not know.

[andymck]

The Firefly was originally the Cambridge One Design. This was supposed to meet the then N12 hull rules, and was originally built in clinker. It had a different rig as the Cambridge one design, but could have been easily converted to be raced in N12 class racing. Uffa Fox was not one to waste a good set of lines when he had one, and it was then relaunched as the Firefly, Seafly and Albacore in various guises post war, when Fairey Marine needed a new project. Obviously the Firefly did not measure as it was smooth skinned, there were some joint events and examples of which are in the handbook.

Andy