Nicholson Yachts Bermudan Cutter for sale in Portugal

Once erroneously described in a major yachting magazine as “thought to be lost”, FOXHOUND offers a rare chance to catch just in time one of the most iconic of British ocean racing yachts; the immediate design predecessor and close sister to the famous, later royal, racing cutter BLOODHOUND.

FOXHOUND's commissioning owner, Irish-American offshore racer and huntsman Isaac Bell, specified that his first wish was for a yacht to be good to look at - and not necessarily built entirely to the RORC rules of the time. We can clearly see in FOXHOUND'S sweet curves that he got his desire; she wasn't just a good looker - she was fast with it. Following her first season Bell was made an offer he couldn't refuse and in the building of her replacement, BLOODHOUND, more of an effort was made to fit the rule. Often the best boats are those built to be right first time and fit the rule later so in FOXHOUND we have a beautiful yacht with a superb cruising interior that is no slouch.

Brokers Comments

Once erroneously described in a major yachting magazine as “thought to be lost”, FOXHOUND offers a rare chance to catch just in time one of the most iconic of British ocean racing yachts; the immediate design predecessor and close sister to the famous, later royal, racing cutter BLOODHOUND.

FOXHOUND's commissioning owner, Irish-American offshore racer and huntsman Isaac Bell, specified that his first wish was for a yacht to be good to look at - and not necessarily built entirely to the RORC rules of the time. We can clearly see in FOXHOUND'S sweet curves that he got his desire; she wasn't just a good looker - she was fast with it. Following her first season Bell was made an offer he couldn't refuse and in the building of her replacement, BLOODHOUND, more of an effort was made to fit the rule. Often the best boats are those built to be right first time and fit the rule later so in FOXHOUND we have a beautiful yacht with a superb cruising interior that is no slouch.

Project

Notwithstanding her impressive provenance; FOXHOUND - much of her original, must be considered a project if only on the grounds of her obvious current cosmetic condition. There has moreover been no recent structural survey. Subject to proper scrutiny of her structural condition therefore and given the wonderful original interior we are optimistic she could reward a careful restorer with a spectacular classic yacht.

History

FOXHOUND was one of the three Charles E Nicholson designed ocean racers built to the International Third Rule but never classed, measured or raced as a 12m R so the first of the three - the others being BLOODHOUND and STIARNA designed conform to the ocean racing rule and to the Twelve Metre Class of the International Rule.

1935 First owner Isaac Bell home port: Poole and Southampton.

FOXHOUND’s racing career is remarkable however in that she was an early winner pre war and yet subsequently active for the Portuguese team in the in 1973 Admiral’s Cup and Fastnet.

In her first season she took a first in the Morgan Cup Race to Cherbourg and back, second in the Bell Isle Race, third in the Dinard Race and fourth in the Fastnet. Following this Isaac Bell her owner, a wealthy American citizen living in England, accepted the offer to buy her from Compte de Gasquet.

Compte Georges de Gasquet-James - home port: Dinard and Nantes

D H E McCowen - home port: Southampton

Mrs Rachel Pitt-Rivers. Subsequently it was she, the only lady skipper in the 1956 Newport-Bermuda race, who brought FOXHOUND through heavy seas to finish 36th in a fleet of 88 of the World's best yachtsmen. She then sailed the 21-year-old FOXHOUND back to England via the Azores. It had been during her ownership the name was changed to FOXHOUND OF LEPE; her home ports Cowes and Southampton.

Ernesto Vieira de Mendonça - home port: Lisbon - back from the 1954 Bermuda Race, the yacht underwent an extensive refit with the change of the fore and aft frame structure from galvanised to stainless steel; the mast was replaced with a new aluminium one; the rig was a 7/8 sloop with double spreader; the engine was changed - in 1968 Sparkman & Stephens studied an improvement of this rig increasing the fore triangle in order to have a better rating since

1969 Antonio XARA-Brasil Nogueira - renamed her FOXHOUND - home port: Lisbon. In 1973 she raced the Fastnet for her second time with a rating of 44.8 without age allowance, winning the Iolaire Trophy and leading the fleet of seventeen boats. Subsequently she participated in the main Portuguese races; the Wintermantel, Salazar Trophy and Berlengas Race. In the latter - an offshore race, FOXHOUND held the record for the best corrected time over twenty years. Other events included the D Carlos I Cup, Infante D Henrique Cup, D Pedro V, Nicolas Franco and Walter Bush with more than 50 first places out of 200 entries.

1970 Disappeared from the Lloyd's Register

Construction

- Part composite wood planking on wood and steel frames
- Teak deck

Accommodation and Domestic Equipment

Deck house
- Access to accommodation by deckhouse hatchway and companionway steps down
- Seating port and starboard
- Quarter berth aft to port
- Chart table to stbd with quarter berth abaft
- Very large hanging locker to port
- Sestrel barometer and Navdet clock

Head compartment stbd fwd
- Manual WC
- Wash basin with hot and cold taps

Saloon
- White painted original teak deck head and beams
- Original mahogany panelling and attractive door furniture
- Extended skylight hatch in deck head
- 2 x Settee berths; one each side
- Pilot berth above and outboard to port
- Settee back converts to additional berth stbd
- Gimballed dining table on centreline
- 3 x Art Deco lights on bulkheads

Galley to port
- 3 Burner hob and oven
- 2 x Stainless steel sinks, hot and cold fresh water taps
- Large plate racks
- Lockers above and below for crockery, cutlery and provisions

Mid cabin to stbd opposite galley
- Double berth with 4 x Stowage drawers under
- Hanging locker with stowage drawers under
- Ensuite head compartment with manual WC and shower
- Stowage locker
- Large stowage lockers each side
- 2 x Pipe cots over
- Access by forehatch to fore deck

Rig Spars and Sails

- Cutter rig
- Alloy 2 spreader mast
- Alloy boom
- Stainless steel standing rigging

Mechanical Electrical and Tankage

Volvo Penta MD 21 A; fitted but not currently operational

Navigation Communication and Electronics

- C Plath Hamburg steering compass
- Autohelm ST4000 auto pilot

Safety

- Manual bilge pump in cockpit

Other Equipment

FOXHOUND