Tailers and Platforms plan for SOUTHERN CROSS II
Designer
Ben Lexcen
(1936 - 1988)
Date13 October 1976
Object numberANMS1543[098]
NamePlan
MediumConstruction plan, pencil on tracing paper
Dimensions770 x 1020
Copyright© Ben Lexcen
ClassificationsMaps, charts and plans
Credit LineAustralian National Maritime Museum Collection purchased with USA Bicentennial Gift funds
DescriptionA detailed construction drawing from 1976 by Bob Miller (later Ben Lexcen) for building the winch operators platforms on board the Australian 12mR Americas cup challenge yacht SOUTHERN CROSS II later re-named AUSTRALIA.HistoryThe America’s Cup was originally known as ‘The British ‘Royal Yacht Squadron £100 cup’ and offered as the prize for a yacht race around the Isle of Wight in 1851. The first race was won by the schooner yacht ‘AMERICA’ owned by the group of members from The New York Yacht Club (NYYC). This syndicate donated the cup to the club, and it was re-named ‘The America’s Cup’ after the name of the yacht. The ‘12mR International Rule’ for racing yachts, participating in the America’s Cup, started in 1958 and ran up to 1987 when the International Americas Cup Class (IACC) was introduced. During this period, Australia yacht designer Ben Lexcen, designed seven America’s Cup challenge yachts.
Australia’s quest for the coveted America’s Cup began in 1962 with the Alan Payne designed ‘GRETEL’. This was followed in 1966 with the Warwick J. Hood yacht DAME PATTIE and by GRETEL II in 1970. Alan Bond took up the challenge hopes in 1974 when he hired Ben Lexcen (then Bob Miller) to design the 12mR SOUTHERN CROSS (KA-4). This yacht was built in Terry Hills by ‘Halvorsen Morson and Gowland’ of Mona Vale and launched in 1974.
Following sea trials and crew training SOUTHERN CROSS (KA-4), was shipped to the USA for the American cup races in 1974. The yacht was not successful in winning the Americas cup for Australia and Bob Miller left the ‘Miller & Whitworth’ partnership and moved to Cowes on the Isle of Wight in UK. The tenacious Alan Bond was not prepared to give up his dream of winning the Americas cup and travelled to England to meet with Bob Miller (later Ben Lexcen) and took him back to Australin to discuss the next campaign.
Design work started on the 12mR SOUTHERN CROSS II at Cowes, Isle of Wight in the UK but later moved to Perth in Western Australia. At that time Bob Miller (later Ben Lexcen) formed a design partnership with a young Dutch naval architect called Johan Valentijn who had worked for ‘Sparkman & Stevens’ yacht design in New York. Bob Miller set up the ‘Miller & Valentijn’ office in Perth, Western Australia and Johan an office in New York. Originally called SOUTHERN CROSS II the yacht was renamed AUSTRALIA, and was built in Cottesloe on the outskirts of Perth, by ‘Steve E. Ward & Brian Raley’ and launched in 1977.
During the design of AUSTRALIA (KA-5), Bob Miller (later Ben Lexcen) and Johan Valentijn, spent seven months in 1976 testing 1/9th. scale models of the yacht at the University of Delft test tank in the Netherlands. This experience would later prove invaluable for the design of AUSTRALIA II the winning yacht, which won the Americas cup for Australia in 1983.
During 1977 Bob Miller changed his name by deed poll to Ben Lexcen. That same year the 12mR yacht AUSTRALIA (KA-5) was shipped to the USA and took part in the 1977 America cup races in the USA but did not have success. Ben Lexcen re-designed the 12mR AUSTRALIA for the next Americas cup challenge in 1980 but lost four races to one.
Today, almost 45-year later, thanks to the ‘Australian 12m Historic Trust’ ‘AUSTRALIA’ is fully restored and still sailing in Sydney Australia.SignificanceThe design work for constructing the two winch tailer platforms on the 12mR yacht SOUTHERN CROSS II was made on October 13th. 1976. It is a detailed construction drawing made by Bob Miller (later Ben Lexcen) who was at that time in partnership with Dutch naval architect Johan Valentijn. They worked together on the design at their design office in Perth, Western Australia, but also spent several months in Holland tank testing scaled models of the yacht hull. The 12mR challenge yacht SOUTHERN CROSS II was renamed ‘AUSTRALIA’ and built by ‘Steve E. Ward & Brian Raley’ the following year at Cottesloe, Perth, in 1977.
