BALLYHOO construction plan
Designer
Ben Lexcen
(1936 - 1988)
Date1974
Object numberANMS1543[021]
NamePlan
Mediumink on drafting film
DimensionsOverall: 735 × 765 mm
Copyright© Ben Lexcen
ClassificationsMaps, charts and plans
Credit LineAustralian National Maritime Museum Collection
DescriptionBALLYHOO hull cross section drawing, made by Ben Lexcen (then Bob Miller) and the ‘Miller & Whitworth’ design office team in 1974.
HistoryBen Lexcen, (then Bob Miller) was chief designer and partner of ‘Miller & Whitworth’ in 1973, when the design project of the 72-foot aluminium maxi-racer BALLYHOO was underway. With an overall length of 21.97 metre (72.08 feet), BALLYHOO was designed as an offshore racing maxi-yacht by Ben Lexcen (then Bob Miller) and the design team at ‘Miller & Whitworth’ in 1973 and 1974 The yacht was built for Jack Rooklyn by ‘Halvorsen, Morson and Gowland’, in Sydney, Australia and launched in November 1974. BALLYHOO was named after Jack Rooklyn’s business, Bally Gaming. With sail number 357, the first major race for BALLYHOO was the 1974 Sydney to Hobart race which started on December 26th. just over a month after being launched. BALLYHOO was second over the line behind the US maxi-racer ‘ONDINE’. The first overseas race was in New Zealand, where she took part in the 1975 ‘Three Kings Islands Race’ before going on to the ‘Transpac Race’. Ben Lexcen (then Bob Miller) the designer, joined the yacht for the 1,227 mile, 1975 ‘Transpac Race’, race, from the Point Fermin buoy in San Pedro, California to Diamond Head in Hawaii. BALLYHOO was the first Australian yacht ever to enter this race. Following the race, the yacht and her crew, stayed in Hawaii to compete in the annual ‘Hawaiian Island Series’. This included the ‘Round the State Race’ in which BALLYHOO lost her rudder in very bad weather. Remarkably, the crew made up, a temporary rudder using the teak saloon table and a spinnaker pole. This followed a difficult 250 miles back to Honolulu, in 34 hours but BALLYHOO still crossed the finish line ahead of some other yachts. Later the same year, BALLYHOO participated in the ‘China Sea Series’ including the race from Hong Kong to Manilla. Initially, the yacht did not sail as well to windward, or as fast as expected, so in late 1975 and 1976 the weights were adjusted and the ballast keel re-cast. It is possible this design drawing was used, or made at this time. In any event, these changes made a significant improvement, making BALLYHOO a fast and highly successful offshore racing yacht in all wind conditions. In 1976 Jack Rooklyn accepted an invitation from the prestigious ‘California Yacht Club’ to race BALLYHOO in the California Cup and St. Francis Perpetual Series. BALLYHOO arrived in Los Angeles in 1976 following an amazing winning streak, which started by winning the ‘South China Sea Race’. In the 1976 California Cup race, BALLYHOO beat the famous America maxi yacht ‘KIALO III’. As one yacht magazine report at the time: BALLYHOO is unquestionably the fastest yacht in the world to windward. The yacht then went on to Honolulu, for the ‘Round the State Race’ again, this time taking line honours and many hours off the elapsed time record. BALLYHOO pioneered the sloop rig maxi, and went on to win line honours in the 1976 Sydney-Hobart race and, many other races during her career. The yacht sailed in all the major off-shore racing events in the coming years, wining line honours at the 1977 Fastnet Race in UK. BALLYHOO was sold to Bill Whitehouse-Vaux in 1978, who re-named the yacht MISTRESS QUICKLY and continued to race her into the mid 1990’s. She took part in the 2001 ‘Maxi-yacht Rolex Cup Race’ in Porto Cervo, Sardinia and is believed to still be sailing today as a charter yacht.
SignificanceDuring the design of the yacht, the naval architect will calculate the weight distribution, buoyancy, and heeling moments, of the ballast keel on the yacht when heeled over by wind pressure on the sails. This drawing indicates the study carried out of the 72-foot maxi-racer BALLYHOO in 1974 and possible in 1975.
