Preliminary arrangement for 80'0" Ketch IOR MKIII
Designer
Ben Lexcen
(1936 - 1988)
DateApril 1974
Object numberANMS1543[038]
NamePlan
MediumInk on drafting film
Dimensions625 x 770
Copyright© Ben Lexcen
ClassificationsMaps, charts and plans
Credit LineAustralian National Maritime Museum Collection purchased with USA Bicentennial Gift funds
Description‘Miller & Whitworth’ 80-foot maxi ketch, designed by Ben Lexcen (formally Bob Miller) in April 1974.HistoryA self-taught naval architect, yacht designer and accomplished yachtsman, Ben Lexcen was born Robert Clyde Miller, on March 19th. 1936 at Boggabri, a small town in New South Wales, Australia. His early years were tough, being abandoned by his parents, he grew up with his grandfather in Newcastle. He left school at fourteen, after only five years formal education, to become an apprentice machinist at the New South Wales locomotive works. In 1952, at the age of 16, he designed his first sailing boat THE COMET with his friend William Bennett and soon began to make a name for himself at local sailing competitions. In 1960 he entered his boat TAIPAN in the 18-Footer World Championships, and later winning the World Championship in 1961 with his next boat VENOM. In 1962, together with his friend Craig Whitworth, he set up a sail making business in Sydney while continuing to design boats and small yachts. He represented Australia in the Soling class at the 1972 at the Olympic Games at Munich, West Germany. During his years in the ‘Miller & Whitworth’ partnership Ben Lexcen (then Bob Miller) became very well known for his fast, light-weight, racing yachts which included, PLUM CRAZY, MERCEDES III, APOLLO, APOLLO II GINKGO, BALLYHOO and CEIL III.
GINKGO was the first of a series of 45’ IOR racing yachts designed by Ben Lexcen, (then Bob Miller) at ‘Miller & Whitworth’. Based on the same hull lines and sail-plan APOLLO II was built in aluminium at the same time by the same builder, ‘Halvorsen, Morson & Gowland Pty.’ In Sydney. Both yachts were in the British Admirals Cup races on 1973, so ‘Miller& Whitworth’ started to franchise the design around the work as the ‘Admiral Cup 45’. Other yachts, larger, and smaller were included in this marketing plan.
Two smaller yachts using the same design shape and concept to GINLGO were built, CEILL II and RAMPAGE won handicap honours in the Sydney to Hobart race. Other yachts designed by Ben Lexcen (Bob Miller) in 1974 were: Don StClair-Brown’s 50-foot ANTICIPATION, The OLYIMPIC 48-foot sloop, The ‘Miller & Whitworth’ 40-foot One Ton IOR yacht, 35-foot ¾ Ton IOR yacht, M&W 31’ sloop, 32-foot ½ Ton IOR yacht, 54-racing yacht. The 72-foot maxi yacht BALLYHOO was also designed and built in 1974. No information is yet available if this 80-foot IOR maxi ketch was built, but with the cost and high profile of yachts this size in the 1970’s it is likely a proposal or concept design, made by ‘Miller & Whitworth’ in early 1974. With so much design work available at one of the world’s most well-known yacht design companies, a decision was made to sell some of the work as ‘stock design’ and franchise ‘Miller & Whitworth’ around the world. This covered sailing yachts from about 30-feet overall to 80 feet overall as well as the CONTENDER sailing dinghy.
This marketing concept appears to have enjoyed some success, as ‘M&W’ designed yacht were built in several countries. At least four ‘Miller & Whitworth’ 35-foot IOR ¾ Ton yachts were built in South Africa. RED AMBER, SOUNDWAVE, SCORPIO and CLOUD NINE were all built in 1974, cold moulded in Mahogany by ‘Mosenthal’s Marine’ in Durban. SignificanceThe 80-foot IOR maxi ketch, designed by Ben Lexcen (then Bob Miller) and the ‘Miller & Whitworth’ design team in April 1974, was likely a proposal or concept design which became part of the overall ‘Miller & Whitworth’ stock designs. 1974 was a busy year for Ben Lexcen as his first America Cup Challenge yacht, the 12mR SOUTHERN CROSS’, was being designed and built, as well as the 72-foot maxi tracer BALLYHOO for Jack Rooklyn.
