Lines Plan

Designer Ben Lexcen (1936 - 1988)

Object numberANMS1543[268]

NamePlan

MediumPaper

Dimensions365 x 710

ClassificationsMaps, charts and plans

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

Terms

DescriptionAPOLLO, the 58-foot successful ocean racing yacht designed for Alan Bond by Ben Lexcen (formally Bob Miller) in 1969. HistoryA self-taught boat designer and accomplished yachtsman, Ben Lexcen (then Bob Miller) represented Australia in the Soling class at the 1972 at the Olympic Games at Munich, West Germany. 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 TAIPAN in the 18-Footer World Championship and won 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. Bob Miller (later Ben Lexcen) was a great friend of Ted Kaufman in the early 1960’s and stayed at his house. Ted Kaufman was interested in building a new Admirals Cup racing boat at the time and asked Bob Miller to help. The result was the fast and very successful MERCEDES III later referred to as a Kaufman/Miller designed yacht. Launched in in 1966, it was part of Australia’s winning team of three yachts in the 1967 Admiral’s Cup series in England. His first large yacht was the 51-foot ‘VOLANTE’ designed in 1967/1968 for a New Zealand client. Built by Max Carte with a hull of double skin kauri and cedar, covered with fibre glass, the yacht was launched in 1968. With a length of 51 feet overall (12.5m), 47 feet (14.32m) waterline, a beam of 12 ½ feet (3.28m) and a draft of 9 feet (2.74m) it was an immediate winner and the fastest Division One boat in 1972. At about the same time ‘VOLANTE’ was starting to win races and turn heads, a young Western Australian building developer from Perth called Alan Bond, was looking for a fast light-weight boat to race on The Swan River. He commissioned Bob Miller (later Ben Lexcen) to design a boat specifically to win races in the sheltered waters of the Swan River. With an overall length of 58-feet, the Bob Miller (Later Ben Lexcen) yacht APOLLO was considered a very advanced and an extremely modern yacht at the time. The hull lines show a revolutionary design by Ben Lexcen (then Bob Miller) for a light weight racing yacht, with a shallow hull, narrow forward sections but with wide, flat underwater shape aft. Built by ‘Griffins Boatyard’ in 1969 the hull of ‘APOLLO’ was cold moulded with three layers of Oregon pine on laminated wooden frames. Despite being designed as an inshore and river racing yacht, the owner changed his mind part way through the build and wanted to do offshore racing. The freeboard height was increased by 9-inches and other changes were made, including removing some of the lead from the keel. ‘APOLLO’ took part in the 1969 Sydney Hobart race, was second three times. In early 1970 APOLLO was shipped to Baltimore port in the USA, launched, rigged and prepared. On June 20th, together with 148 other yachts, ‘APOLLO’ took part in the 679-mile Bermuda Race, starting from Newport Rhode Island and ending at Hamiliton. The fleet was harassed by severe thunder-squalls during the night of June 21–22. On June 25, part of the fleet experienced an unexpected southerly gale just northwest of Bermuda. APOLLO did well for her class, but the race was won by WINDWARD PASSGE. APOLLO was sold to Jack Rooklyn, who continued to race the race successfully, winning the 1978 Sydney Hobart race. At nine at night, on Saturday April 5th.1980, APOLLO went aground on ‘Lady Ellis Island’ one of the southernmost cays of the Great Barrier Reef. The crew were all saved but the yacht was a complete loss.SignificanceThe design of APOLLO for Alan Bond in 1969 was the start of a lifelong relationship between him and Ben Lexcen. Numerous other yachts were designed by Ben Lexcen for Ala Bond in the 1970’s and 80’s, including the very successful IOR yacht APOLLO II the 12mR SOUTHERN CROSS, AUSTRALIA and the world-famous America’s Cup yacht, AUSTRALIA II.