Foxhound K-126

Overview

Built by Camper & Nicholson and launched in June 1935 for Isaac Bell, an American living in England, FOXHOUND represents one of the most refined examples of Charles E. Nicholson’s International Third-Rule Twelve-Metre designs. She was the direct design predecessor and close sister to BLOODHOUND and STIARNA, forming a trio that bridged the evolution between the pure 12-Metre racers of the 1920s and the new generation of ocean-racing cutters and yawls.

Although never officially measured or raced as a Twelve, FOXHOUND was drawn to the class rule and conforms to the 12-Metre hull form in every respect. She was conceived as a yacht capable of competing under the RORC ocean-racing rule while retaining the grace, proportion, and precision of a true 12-Metre.

Design and Construction

FOXHOUND was built to Lloyd’s R-Class standards and launched at Gosport in June 1935. She measures approximately 63 ft 3 in overall with a 45 ft waterline, a beam of 12 ft 6 in, and a draught of about 9 ft 1 in. Displacement is roughly 33 tons with a 16-ton lead keel.

Her construction is semi-composite: steel frames with mahogany topsides and teak bottom planking. The decks, deckhouse, and hatches are teak, while the mast was originally a hollow silver-spruce spar, later replaced by aluminium. Her interior is fitted largely in Honduras cedar with teak flooring throughout, combining lightness with strength and elegance.

Contemporary reports described her as “an exceptionally lovely ship attracting admirers on her own account,” noting the long, beautifully drawn hull lines and the fine workmanship characteristic of Camper & Nicholson.

Racing Pedigree

FOXHOUND’s first season in 1935 was immediately successful. She won the Morgan Cup Race from Cowes to Cherbourg, placed second in the Belle Île Race, third in the Dinard Race, and fourth in the Fastnet—being the first yacht to round the Rock. Her combination of seaworthiness and balance made her a winning yacht in heavy weather, even when lighter Twelves performed better in calm conditions.

Her near-sister BLOODHOUND became famous as a royal yacht, but FOXHOUND was the offshore performer—designed for blue-water racing rather than sheltered inshore courses.

Ownership and Career

1935–1936 – Isaac Bell, Poole and Southampton, Great Britain. Original owner and patron of Nicholson’s design.
1936–1949 – Comte Georges de Gasquet-James, Dinard and Nantes, France. Continued active racing in the Channel and Bay of Biscay.
1950–1951 – D. H. E. McCowan, Southampton, Great Britain.
1951–1954 – Hon. Emily Rachel Pitt-Rivers, Cowes, Great Britain. Renamed Foxhound of Lepe in 1952. Auxiliary engine installed.
1954–1968 – Ernesto Vieira de Mendonça, Lisbon, Portugal. Extensive refit following the 1954 Bermuda Race; stainless-steel reinforcement, aluminium mast, and 7/8 sloop rig. Sparkman & Stephens later refined the sail plan to improve her RORC rating.
1969–2008 – António Xara-Brasil Nogueira, Lisbon, Portugal. Raced successfully in major Portuguese offshore events including the Wintermantel, Salazar, Berlengas, and D. Carlos I Cups, with more than fifty firsts over two hundred entries.
2021–present – Absolute Classic Yacht Hardware. Restoration and revival project committed to returning FOXHOUND to the international classic-racing circuit.

Restoration and Legacy

FOXHOUND remains a remarkable survivor of the Third-Rule era—one of the few 1930s Nicholson ocean racers still largely original in structure and interior. Her planking, joinery, and hardware have been described as “a time capsule of Nicholson craftsmanship.” Her deck requires renewal, but the hull and interior are in excellent condition, retaining teak, Honduras mahogany, and cedar throughout.

As the first of three near-identical Nicholson designs built to the 12-Metre rule and adapted for ocean racing, FOXHOUND holds a unique position in yachting history. She represents both the culmination of Nicholson’s classical 12-Metre thinking and the beginning of a new generation of offshore competition.

Today

Under Absolute’s stewardship, FOXHOUND is being readied for full restoration and re-entry into the classic-yacht scene. The goal is to return her to racing condition, preserve her authenticity, and ensure that her name—never changed through all her ownerships—continues to stand among the legendary British ocean racers of the 1930s.

For a future custodian, FOXHOUND offers not just a yacht, but a living piece of maritime history: a 12-Metre thoroughbred built for the open sea, awaiting her next chapter.