Firefly (dinghy)

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Sailboat class

title: "Firefly (dinghy)" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["firefly-(dinghy)", "dinghies", "1940s-sailboat-type-designs", "olympic-sailing-classes", "sailboat-type-designs-by-uffa-fox", "sailboat-types-built-by-fairey-marine", "sailboat-types-built-by-rondar-raceboats", "sailboat-types-built-by-whitecap-composites"] description: "Sailboat class" topic_path: "sports" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefly_(dinghy)" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Sailboat class ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox sailboat specifications"]

Field	Value
name	Firefly
insignia
F
insignia size	150px
line drawing	File:Firefly.svg
designer	Uffa Fox
location	United Kingdom
year	1946
no built	4,270
builder	Fairey Marine
Knight and Pink Marine
Omega Boats
Ovington Boats
Porter Boats
Rondar Raceboats
Vic Lewis Boats
Whitecap Composites
role	One design racer
crew	two
draft	4.25 ft with centreboard down
displacement	260 lb
hull type	monohull
construction	glassfibre
loa	12.00 ft
lwl	11.75 ft
beam	4.67 ft
keel type	centreboard
rudder type	transom-mounted rudder
rig type	Bermuda rig
sailplan	fractional rigged sloop
sailarea total	68.00 sqft
d-pn	99.6
rya-pn	1168
::

|appendages = |keel type = centreboard |ballast = |rudder type = transom-mounted rudder

|rigs = |rig type = Bermuda rig |I = |J = |P = |E = |mast length = |rig other =

|rating = |d-pn = 99.6 |rya-pn = 1168 |phrf =

|status = |previous = |successor =

The Firefly is a British sailboat that was designed by Uffa Fox as a one design racer and first built in 1946. The boat was originally named the Sea Swallow. It was an Olympic class and raced at the 1948 Olympics.

Production

The design was initially built by Fairey Marine in the United Kingdom, starting in 1946 until the end of 1972. It was then built by Vic Lewis Boats from 1973, in glassfibre, using moulds by Craft Mouldings. In 1976 Knight and Pink Marine re-started the production of wooden boats. Omega Boats built a foam sandwich version of the design and then Porter Boats produced it up to 1995. From 1997 to 2023, production was by Rondar Raceboats in the UK. Whitecap Composites in the United States also built Fireflies. As of the summer of 2023, it is now built by Ovington Boats in the UK and remains in production. More than 4,270 Fireflies have been completed.

Design

The Firefly is a recreational sailing dinghy, initially built predominantly of hot-moulded plywood, glassfibre construction was authorized by the class starting in 1965. A rotating mast was introduced in 1970.

The design has a fractional sloop rig, a plumb stem and transom, a transom-hung rudder controlled by a tiller and a retractable centreboard. It displaces 260 lb.

The boat has a draft of 4.25 ft with the centreboard extended and 10 in with it retracted, allowing operation in shallow water, beaching or ground transportation on a trailer.

The design is raced without a spinnaker.

The Firefly has a Portsmouth Yardstick handicap of 1168 (in the RYA scheme) and a D-PN of 99.6 in the US Sailing system.

Operational history

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/National_Maritime_Museum_Cornwall_(8794).jpg" caption="Firefly number one in the [[National Maritime Museum Cornwall]] (right)"] ::

The boat is supported by an active class club that organizes racing events, the National Firefly Association.

The first four production boats built by Fairey were purchased by the commodore of the Itchenor Sailing Club, Sir Geoffrey Loules and named Fe, Fi, Fo and Fum.

Even though it was designed for a crew of two sailors, the boat was selected for the 1948 Olympics as a single-handed boat. The Olympic sailing events that year were held at Torbay and the gold medal was won by Danish sailor, Paul Elvstrøm. It was replaced as an Olympic class in 1952 by the Finn.

The National Maritime Museum Cornwall notes, "the Firefly was one of the first production dinghies ever built in large numbers, long before the days of glass reinforced plastic boats, and there is no doubt that it put dinghy sailing within financial reach of many people – the initial cost of a boat was £65."

Boats on display

National Maritime Museum Cornwall - the first production boat, Fe.

References

McArthur, Bruce. (2022). "Firefly sailboat". sailboatdata.com.
Sea Time Tech, LLC. (2022). "Firefly". sailboat.guide.
McArthur, Bruce. (2022). "Uffa Fox". sailboatdata.com.
Sea Time Tech, LLC. (2022). "Uffa Fox". sailboat.guide.
McArthur, Bruce. (2022). "Fairey Marine Ltd". sailboatdata.com.
Sea Time Tech, LLC. (2022). "Fairey Marine Ltd". sailboat.guide.
McArthur, Bruce. (2022). "Rondar Raceboats". sailboatdata.com.
Sea Time Tech, LLC. (2022). "Rondar Raceboats". sailboat.guide.
McArthur, Bruce. (2022). "Whitecap Composites". sailboatdata.com.
Sea Time Tech, LLC. (2022). "Whitecap Composites". sailboat.guide.
Rondar Raceboats. (2022). "Rondar Firefly". rondarboats.com.
Whitecap Composites. "Turbo Firefly". whitecapcomposites.com.
(15 March 2023). "Firefly Class appoint new builder". Yachts and Yachting.
"Firefly Class History". Chipstead Sailing Club.
National Maritime Museum Cornwall. (27 April 2016). "National Firefly #1 "Fe" – BC33".
Hudson, Stuart. (8 February 2015). "About The Firefly". National Firefly Association.
"Portsmouth Number List 2012". Royal Yachting Association.
"Centerboard Classes-Inactive". US Sailing.
McArthur, Bruce. (2022). "National Firefly Association". sailboatdata.com.
Sea Time Tech, LLC. (2022). "Firefly Dinghy". sailboat.guide.
National Firefly Association. (5 July 2022). "National Firefly Association".

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