Mainsheet winch chain drive pedestal for AUSTRALIA II from Barlow Winches
Designer
Ben Lexcen
(1936 - 1988)
Date25 June 1981
Object numberANMS1543[334]
NamePlan
MediumPaper
Copyright© Robin Gillis
ClassificationsMaps, charts and plans
Credit LineAustralian National Maritime Museum Collection purchased with USA Bicentennial Gift funds
DescriptionBarlow Marine assembly drawing, showing the parts of a chain operated winch drive pedestal, used on the 12mR challenge yacht AUSTRALIA and possibly AUSTRALIA II for the 1983 America’s Cup races.
HistoryThe first yacht to be fitted with modern, specifically designed deck winches to raise and adjust the sails, was ‘RELIENCE’ the 1903 American defender of the America’s Cup. The yacht, designed by Nathanael G. Herreshoff, had the winches located below deck, while other racing yachts at the time used old fashioned deck mounted windlasses. Despite the added technology, a crew of sixty-four was still needed for racing this 120-foot yacht. RELIENCE carried a total of 1,501 square metres of sail, the same as eight later 12mR yachts. The winches proved to be both efficient and robust, as these same winches were later used on RESOLUTE in 1920, and ENTERPRISE the 120-foot America’s Cup yacht in 1930.
Innovative Australian Malcolm Barlow first started designing and building BARLOW winches in a small garage in Sydney during the mid 1960’s. They quickly became well-known for their strong construction, fine workmanship, and reliability. BARLOW winches were fitted to many production yachts around the world and many are still in use today. In America, BARIENT winches developed at about the same time and both companies seem to have worked together, as the parts, designs and tooling appears to be the same. Barient Marine was started by the owners of two yachts, Derek Baylis who owned ‘ORIENT’ and Jim Michael owner of the yacht BARUNA, hence the name BARIENT.
The first self-tailing winch for use on a yacht was invented, and patented by Maurice G. Declercq, on October 26th 1973. It consisted of a separate, spring-loaded wheel, which pressed the sheet (rope) against winch drum. There is no information if this was later produced. The now standard ‘self-tailing winch’ was invented by Jesus Guangorena, of the ’Barient Company’, and the US patent filed on April 15th. 1975. Both Barlow in Australia and Barient in the US, produced a range of standard and self-tailing winches.
Barlow Marine in Australia also filed several patents for winches and parts: Notably on February 21st. 1979, invented by Raymond J. Porter; A self-tailing winch of the type having a stationary frame and a rotatable drum. The tail of the rope or sheet is held in a groove between a pair of toroidal shaped gripping diaphragms of elastomeric material. Also, on June 13th. 1978 an invention by; Albert J. Hutton, Allen W. Hutton and Richard J. Dellit; A ‘variable speed winch’, including a uni-directional drum rotatable initially by the clockwise motion of a handle in a clockwise sense only.
All the sail control winches fitted on a 12mR International Americas Cup yachts such as AUSTRALIA, CHALLENGE 12 and AUSTRALIA II needed to be both strong and reliable. The failure of a sheet winch will almost certainly result in the yacht losing the race. The Barlow grinder winches made for AUSTRALIA in 1977 and later AUSTRALIA II in 1981 were cast in manganese bronze and likely purpose designed for the yacht. It is possible Ben Lexcen and his engineer designers may have been involved, but they would certainly have supplied information to the Barlow Company.
Both ‘Barlow Marine’ in Australia and ‘Barient Marine’ in the USA closed for business in the late 1980’s or early 1990’s, after they were bought out by rival company ‘Lewmar Marine’. However, some of the original staff at Barlow Australia bought the mould tooling and formed The Australian Winch Company which continues today. They still produce the famous HUTTON yacht winches and spare parts for Barlow and Barient.SignificanceBarlow winches were an integral part of yachting in Australia and around the world by the early 1980’s. The company were well-known for high quality, reliable winches, so using their larger maxi-winches on the Australian America’s cup challenge yachts would be an obvious choice. These types of winches were only installed on larger yachts, such as maxi-racers, and prestigious 12mR challenge yachts. It is likely they were designed specifically for the Ben Lexcen designed yachts and he may even have helped in their design.
