General arrangement plan
Designer
Ben Lexcen
(1936 - 1988)
Date1936-1988
Object numberANMS1543[372]
NamePlan
MediumPaper copy
DimensionsOverall: 1370 x 880
Copyright© Ben Lexcen
ClassificationsMaps, charts and plans
Credit LineAustralian National Maritime Museum Collection purchased with USA Bicentennial Gift funds
DescriptionAUSTRALIA (KA-5), side profile and deck layout, redesigned by Ben Lexcen in 1979, for the 1980 America’s Cup challenge.
HistoryThis yacht, along with the other six 12-metres Ben Lexcen designed in his career, was to represent Australia, through the, Royal Perth Yacht Club, to Challenge the New York Yacht Club (NYYC) for the America’s Cup. This trophy 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. Due to the very high cost of building and maintaining the large ‘J-Class’ yachts of the 1930’s, it was jointly agreed after WW2 to use the smaller 12-metre International Class. The ‘12mR International Rule’ for racing yachts, participating in the America’s Cup, from 1958 and ran up to 1987 when the International Americas Cup Class (IACC) was introduced.
Australia’s quest for the coveted America’s Cup began in 1962 with the Alan Payne designed ‘GRETEL’ for the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron’s challenge. This was followed in 1966 with the Warwick J. Hood yacht ‘DAME PATTIE’ and by ‘GRETEL II’ in 1970.
Charismatic Australian businessman Alan Bond took up the challenge hopes in 1974 when he hired Ben Lexcen (then Bob Miller) to design ‘SOUTHERN CROSS’ (KA-4). Based on his knowledge and experience designing fast yachts, such as ‘PLUM CRAZY’, ‘MERCEDES III’, and ‘APOLLO’, Ben Lexcen, was the obvious choice. The 1974 challenge by Alan Bond and the Royal Perth Yacht Club was not successful, but Ben Lexcen went on to designAUSTRALIA (KA-5) for the 1977 and 1980 races.
The layout of the deck, crew cockpits, deck fittings, and control winches on a 12-Metre racing yacht changed during the 1970’s. The designers of these prestigious racing yachts were all looking how to make their operation as efficient as possible. With races won or lost in a matter of seconds, any changes to the way the crew operated, adjusted the sails or manoeuvred the yacht were vital.
Ben Lexcen, with his long experience racing yachts, redesignedAUSTRALIA (KA-5) in 1978/79 for the 1980 America’s Cup challenge. The hull shape, ballast keel, rudder, and the whole deck layout was changed. The same deck layout was later used on AUSTRALIA II (KA-6) and on ‘CHALLENGE 12’ (KA-10) in 1983.SignificanceA hands-on, in progress working drawing, believed to be from 1979, when Ben Lexcen redesigned the Australian 12mR challenge yacht AUSTRALIA (KA-5). The layout of the deck, crew cockpits, fittings and deck winches were changed on the 1980 updated AUSTRALIA and interestingly remained the same on 1983 challengers, AUSTRALIA II (KA-6) and CHALLENGE 12 (KA-10). 
