Ed Burnett 30 ft Gaff Cutter 2001 - Sold

FOXHOUND is the third build - sister to ZINNIA, MEAGAN and subsequently many more - to this now legendary Burnett & Irens design that takes an initially traditional-looking 30 footer and gives it the feel, space and performance of a larger yacht. Built by one of the best UK wood-epoxy builders, and entrancing only two owners since new, FOXHOUND is the definition of a proper little ship, embodying her designers’ renowned flair for borrowing from good old ideas and style, adding modern technical and materials knowledge, and topping it off with a hard to define but easily discernible eye-sweet aesthetic flair. Few traditional yachts of this size can be so comfortable both at sea and in port – and be so relatively easy to maintain.

BURNETT & IRENS DESIGN 010 ("ZINNIA TYPE")
FOXHOUND's commissioning owners, west country brewers Mark and Tessa Woodhouse, were committed gaff rig sailors looking for something bigger. The first boat to this now legendary design, ZINNIA, garnered much media attention when new in 1998. As then editor of Classic Boat magazine, Dan Houston, put it: "She had the right look; very traditional and yet a lot of the tupperware party couldn't catch up".

Then the Woodhouses encountered the second build, MEAGAN, at the 2000 Yarmouth Old Gaffers Festival, had a sail in her and were smitten. And by this time ZINNIA's capability had been well proven during an Atlantic circuit in 1999/2000.

Negotiations with Ed Burnett and Martyn Brake were soon concluded, and FOXHOUND was built that winter. Her name comes from the famous William Fife II 40-Tonner racing cutter of the 1870s owned by Tessa's great-grandfather. In her first three seasons, FOXHOUND took line honours in the Gaffers Section of the Round the Island Race in two consecutive years.

The Woodhouses enjoyed 11 seasons with FOXHOUND before commissioning a one-off motor yacht, again from Martyn Brake, with FOXHOUND passing into the current ownership of a very experienced rigger. Since then she has continued to be a regular sight on the Solent and at the many classic and gaffers regattas there.

FOXHOUND was built by Martyn Brake’s MB Yachts at Sturminster Marshall in Dorset - whose construction standards are known to be exacting - using the Burnett & Irens Design no. 010 "Structure B" method, employing three laminated sapele ring frames, and in which elements of the interior become part of the structure.

- Douglas fir strip plank on laminated sapele frames
- Hull sheathed with 2000g triaxial matt & 200g twill
- Epoxied and faired
- Laminated sapele longitudinal structure
- 3.5 ton lead keel
- 8 x Bronze keelbolts
- Sheathed with 2000g triaxial matt & 200g twill
- Painted Awlgrip 'Whisper Grey' (2015)
- Rings Frames: laminated sapele
- Deck: painted sanded epoxy over ply and painted western red cedar
- Coach roof frame and sides: mahogany
- Accommodation: painted ply and cherry

FROM AFT
- Transom-hung rudder with tiller through taffrail aperture
- Sapele taffrail and bulwarks, raw teak capping
- Bronze Panama mooring fairleads port and starboard
- Bronze mooring cleats port and starboard
- Stainless steel pushpit
- Stainless steel stanchions and guardlines running forwards
- Bronze mainsheet horse
- Bronze and mahogany boom gallows (2015)

COCKPIT
- Raised Sapele, raw teak capped coaming
- Sunk cockpit with laid raw teak on ply seats and bridge deck
- Laid raw teak on ply sole
- Bronze inspection hatch in sole
- Hinged as locker aft
- Hinged lockers port and starboard
- Engine throttle control to port
- Engine panel fwd between 2 x winch handle holders
- 4 x Lewmar 16 bronze self-tailing winches on sapele plinths
- 2 x Lewmar 16 bronze self-tailing winches fwd port and stbd

COACHROOF
- Sapele uprights
- 3 x Bronze opening port lights port and starboard
- Painted sanded epoxy over ply and painted western red cedar
- Raw teak washboards
- Varnished plywood sliding companionway hatch
- Raw teak grabrails port and starboard
- Varnished mahogany butterfly skylight hatch - removable

SIDE DECKS
- Bronze headsail tracks port and starboard
- Telescopic whisker pole stowage to starboard
- Bronze Panama mooring fairleads port and starboard
- Bronze mooring cleats port and starboard
- Bullseye fairleads port and starboard

MAST POSITION
- Teak and bronze pinrails port and starboard
- Cabin heater flue deck fitting
- Sapele/ mahogany forehatch with bronze light

FOREDECK
- Simpson Lawrence Sea Tiger manual windlass
- Chain gipsy and warping drum
- Bronze mushroom vent
- Oak stainless steel capped bowsprit bits and securing pin
- Bronze mooring cleat to stbd
- Bronze in knight's heads Panama fairleads port and starboard
- Bronze anchor launcher to port of stemhead
- Bronze bow roller to stb of stemhead
- Bronze rattle-fit gammon iron
- Netting at bowsprit shrouds
- 35lb CQR Anchor (2019)
- 40m Galvanised chain; 30m warp rode

From a generous cockpit with high coamings and stowage lockers under the aft seating, the main access below is forward by sliding hatch in the coachroof, and companionway steps down over the engine casing to the saloon. The ambience is both light and warm with the white painted deckhead, fascias and bulkheads contrasting with the varnished timbers of the framework and planking. Light is offered by the port lights and a butterfly skylight in the coach roof.

The accommodation plan makes clever use of almost all of FOXHOUND's overall length while offering a large and very private wc compartment.

To port is the navigation area with generous chart table with stowage outboard and below. The galley also with good stowage is to starboard. Forward are the two main settee / single berths; one each side with a substantial drop leaf dining table amidships; the wine cellar beyond and below the cabin sole. There is good stowage outboard and below the berths

A doorway in the forward bulkhead leads to the fore cabin, its space allocated to the head, wet gear hanging and chain lockers. A further hatch with port light gives separate access and ventilation. Back through the saloon and abaft the galley and navigation zones are two good sized quarter berths.

The domestic equipment includes:
- 2 x burner Force 10 cooker with oven (gas bottle in aft cockpit locker)
- 1 x small, economical but capacious fridge
- Naturalmat quarter berth bunk cushions with memory foam
- Taylor’s diesel heater (separate fuel tank)
- Jabsco manual WC with solid cherry wood seat and lid
- Clock & barometer
- 2 x Oil lamps
- 2 x Sinks with manual lever water pump

SPARS
- Mast, and gaff: hollow Douglas fir by Collars
- Bronze gooseneck
- 1 x Lewmar 16 bronze self-tailing winch
- Boom and bowsprit: solid Douglas fir by builder
- Topsail yard: carbon fibre
- Telescopic whisker pole: aluminium
- 1 x Lewmar 16 bronze self-tailing winch

RIGGING
- Aft lowers: 10 mm 7 x 7
- Caps: 8 mm 7 x 7
- Bowsprit shrouds: 6mm 7 x 7
- Running backstays: Dynema
- Sheets etc: 12 mm braid on braid
- Blocks: Traditonal ash
- Mainsheet block: Harken
- All running rigging new 2018

SAILS
- Main (SKB, 2009)
- Topsail (SKB, 2005)
- Working Topsail (SKB, 2009)
- Working Jib (SKB, 2009)
- Staysail on Sailspar furler (Sanders 2019)
- Yankee on Sailspar furler (Sanders 2019)
- Spitfire jib (SKB, 2001)
- Asymmetric spinnaker (2016)

CANVASWORK
- Full winter cover
- Boom mainsail cover

MECHANICAL
- Volvo/ Perkins 29hp MD2030 Diesel engine
- Engine mountings replaced 2014
- Halyard Aqua Drive
- Profi Seal stern gland
- 16 in Darglow feathering prop
- 6 Knots @ 2400 rpm
- Fuel consumption: c.2 - 2.5 L / 0.5 gallon per hour

ELECTRICAL
- 2 x Gel 75 Ah domestic batteries 2019)
- 1 x Gel 50 Ah engine start battery (2020)

TANKAGE
- 2 x 18 gallon / 82 litre stainless freshwater tanks (new 2010) + filter
- 1 x 21 gallon / 95 litre fuel tank

- Garmin plotter with AIS
- Raymarine DSC VHF
- Raymarine depth & speed
- Autohelm 2000 tiller pilot (2018)
- LED navigation lights (2010)

- 4-Person Lifeguard valise life raft (2001)
- Horseshoe lifebuoy
- Jon Buoy M.O.B. system

- 4 x Person Avon inflatable (2001)

Sailing photos: Emily Harris/ classicyacht.tv