Lively

Current boat name

Lively

Boat class

7320

Sail number

16/10

Function

Sports and Leisure

Type

Length (m / ft)

4.88 / 16ft

Beam (m / ft)

1.63 / 5ft 4in

Leeward

Centreboard

Masts

one original wood

Rig type

Bermudian

Propulsion

Sail

Designer

Fox Uffa

Design date

1937

Date of build

1938

Place of build

Cowes

Present use

Sailing

LIVELY was designed for the shallow harbours of the North Norfolk coast with a short centreboard. She has been owned and sailed there during her lifetime, frequently winning regattas and races to present times as the cups of the local sailing club will attest. Prior to the present owner, she was owned by submarine commander Capt Mike Harvey, one of the 'ghosts' of Colditz A bit of background. 'Muck boats' were keenly raced along the North Norfolk coast before and after WW1, initially by amateur owners with a professional helm as happened in many places round the coast. This area developed as a favourite holiday spot for well-heeled Midlanders after it became accessible by rail. The optimum boat size was limted by the shallow coast and harbours to around 16' will a lifting keel. Between the wars dinghy luminaries like Peter Scott and John Winter, up from Cambridge, raced their Fourteens in regattas along the coast in which Morgan Giles and Uffa Fox were intimately involved, supplying winning boats. So the Midlands fraternity commissioned leading edge 16 footers from the likes of Giles and Fox, to give their new owner-drivers a chance of success. The chapter on 'Lively' in the 1938 Uffa Fox book 'Thoughts on Yachts and Yachting....' has Uffa writing the rules for a 16' restricted class out-lawing Giles' designs in the process. Of course these boats were built to the same high standards as pre-war fourteens and cost as much as a good car but came just before the onset of war, killing off the intricate ribbed, double skinned construction. However, of the four N16s built, three by Fox, one by a young Jack Holt, they are still going strong (one is being restored) as is a pre Uffa rules 16 footer by Morgan Giles. In the best condition, although I say it myself, is LIVELY as she still looks like a piece of valuable furniture. She will be out racing in the Blakeney Regatta this August, weather permitting. I have little doubt that this was Uffa Fox's pitch at a national sixteen foot class. He allocated 16 to the sail numbers, earlier boats had B, although the timing was unfortunate and, as we know, wasn't to be. Owner Feb 2013