He was a keen sailor, having studied navigation, and had William Fife build him Foxhound in 1870, Bloodhound in 1874 and Sleuthhound in 1881.
The passage describes a person who was an accomplished sailor, having studied navigation. He commissioned three yachts from the renowned shipbuilder William Fife: Foxhound in 1870, Bloodhound in 1874, and Sleuthhound in 1881.