Shell expansion plan for 72 foot ocean racing yacht

Designer Ben Lexcen (1936 - 1988)

Date27 March 1974

Object numberANMS1543[047]

NamePlan

MediumPaper

Dimensions760 x 1080

ClassificationsMaps, charts and plans

Credit LineAustralian National Maritime Museum Collection purchased with USA Bicentennial Gift funds

Terms

DescriptionBALLYHOO, hull construction ‘shell expansion’ drawing, for the 73-foot maxi-racer, designed by Ben Lexcen (formally Bob Miller) and the ‘Miller & Whitworth’ team for Jack Rooklyn in 1973 and 1974. HistoryThe history of naval architecture can be traced back thousands of years, but during the 1800’s ship and boat building underwent significant changes, moving from traditional construction in wood, to that of iron and then steel. The hull plates on iron, and later steel ships, were prepared in the shipyard workshops, given a number and position on the hull then moved to the slipway where they were hot-riveted to the hull and adjoining plates. The shell expansion design drawing was developed to make this process more efficient. It also provided the naval architects with the weight, amount, and cost of the materials required to build the hull. All of Ben Lexcen’s (formally Bob Miller) earlier designed yachts and boats were built of wood or plywood. His first design using marine grade aluminium was APOLLO II, the 45-foot IOR yacht for Alan Bond, built by ‘Halvorsen, Morson & Gowland Pty Ltd. and launched in 1972. It was the sister ship of the cold-moulded wooden yacht GINKO built by the same boat yard. For the design and build of the larger 72-foot maxi-racer BALLYHOO in 1974, he used in-house engineers, working to specific requirements set out in the ‘Lloyds Rules for the Construction of Metal Yachts’. This shell expansion drawing was then used by ‘Halvorsen, Morson & Gowland Pty Ltd’ to build the yacht. The owner of BALLYHOO Jack Rooklyn, began yacht racing with his first boat ‘WHITE WINGS’, taking part in the Brisbane to Gladstone, and other races in the 1940’s. His first Ben Lexcen (Bob Miller) designed yacht was the 57-foot APOLLO which he bought from Alan Bond in 1970. Ben Lexcen (then Bob Miller), along with his ‘Miller & Whitworth’ team, designed the 72-foot aluminium maxi racer BALLYHOO for Jack Rooklyn, starting in the summer of 1973. The yacht was built by ‘Halvorsen, Morson and Gowland’, Sydney, Australia, and launched in November of 1974. Just over a month later, the new yacht with a new untested crew, took part in the 1974 Sydney to Hobart race, which started on December 31st. and came in 16th. The first overseas race for BALLYHOO 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 as watch captain 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 spinnaker pole. Then, following a difficult 250 miles back to Honolulu in 34 hours, 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. It is perhaps noteworthy, that Ben Lexcen (then Bob Miller) was also designing the 12mR Americas Cup challenge yacht SOUTHERN CROSS for Alan Bond in 1973 and 1974. Design work on BALLYHOO started during the early summer of 1973 and 1974 while Ben Lexcen (then Bob Miller) was still in the ‘Miller & Whitworth’ partnership. Initially, ’BALLYHOO’ did not sail as well, or as fast as expected, so in late 1975 and 1976 the weights were adjusted and the ballast keel re-cast. These changes made a significant improvement, making BALLYHOO a fast and highly successful offshore racing yacht in all wind conditions. Further design work was also carried out in 1976, by which time Ben Lexcen (still Bob Miller) joined with the Dutch naval architect Johan Valentijn. 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 with winning the ‘South China Sea Race’. In the 1976 California Cup race BALLYHOO beat the famous America maxi yacht ‘KIALO III’. 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 through years. 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 the yacht 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.SignificanceThe shell expansion drawing is an important design work, used by the naval architect and the boat builder, to calculate the surface area of the hull, the amount, cost and weight of the hull materials. It is a two-dimensional drawing, of a three-dimensional shape, showing the size, shape, and weight of the shell plates, including the stiffening members, all the butt joints, seams, fillets and the welds. The purpose of the drawing is to assist in the plate development, and subsequently the cutting of the plates and parts of the hull, prior to fabrication and building the hull. During the design of BALLYHOO in 1974, Ben Lexcen (then Bob Miller) will have used in-house specialist engineers, to calculate the size, weight and strength of each part of the hull and deck. He will have then used the surface areas, and weights of all the materials, to further calculate the effect on the designed displacement, floatation and trim of the finished yacht when launched.