Elevation of medium to large yacht
Designer
Ben Lexcen
(1936 - 1988)
Date1936-1988
Object numberANMS1543[379]
NamePlan
MediumPencil on tracing paper
DimensionsOverall: 1590 x 760
Copyright© Ben Lexcen
ClassificationsMaps, charts and plans
Credit LineAustralian National Maritime Museum Collection purchased with USA Bicentennial Gift funds
DescriptionA Ben Lexcen comparison drawing, of the 12mR challenge yachts, SOUTHERN CROSS and AUSTRALIA.HistoryDuring his career as a yacht designer, from the early 1950’s to 1988, Ben Lexcen worked on many design projects, but his work of the seven Australia America’s Cup challenge yachts was his most prestigious. Following the success of his earlier designs in the early 1970’s, such as the half-tonner PLUM CRAZY, the 57-foot APOLLO and the 45-foot IOR yacht GINKGO, Allan Bond hired Ben Lexcen (then Bob Miler) to design a 12mR yacht to challenge the New York Yacht club for the coveted America’s Cup.
With an overall length of 20.45 meter (67.09 feet), and a weight of 27.55 tons, Ben Lexcen’s SOUTHERN CROSS (KA-4), was built by ‘Halvorsen, Morson & Gowland’ boatyard, in Sydney and launched in 1974. The yacht was the first 12-metre racing yacht Ben Lexcen (then Bob Miller) designed and the first America’s Cup yacht to be built in aluminium. Despite beating all the other challengers during the trials, the Australian challenge for 1974 America’s Cup was unsuccessful. Winning any yacht race is not just about the design of the yacht. It is also about the crew, the shore support team, the weather and sea conditions. A split-second decision by the skipper and win or lose a race. Despite this, Ben Lexcen (Bob Miller) felt in some way he was responsible. He left the ‘Miller & Whitworth’ partnership and moved to Cowes, on the Isle of Wight in UK where he lived in an apartment owned by yachting journalist Jack Knight. But the tenacious Alan Bond, refused to give up his dream of winning the America’s Cup for Australia and travelled to Cowes to find his designer. They met in the local supermarket, where Alan Bond said. ‘You’re coming home with me’. Following his return to Australia, to work out the plans for the next America’s Cup challenge, Ben Lexcen (still Bob Miller) returned to Cowes to start the project. He went on to design the 12mR AUSTRALIA (KA-5), in partnership with the young Dutch naval architect Johan Valentijn in 1975 and 1976. His new young partner had worked at the rival yacht design company, ‘Sparkman & Stephens’, in America, so had some additional inside knowledge.
During the design of AUSTRALIA (KA-5), 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 tank testing experience would later prove critical for Ben Lexcen in his later design of AUSTRALIA II (KA-6).
AUSTRALIA (KA-5), was built by ‘Steve E. Ward & Brian Rale’ at Perth Western Australia in 1977 and took part in the America’s Cup trials in September. The American yacht COURAGEOUS, had beaten ENTERPRISE and INDEPENENCE in the trial races. The Australian yacht sailed against: FRANCE, GRETEL II and the Swedish yacht SVERIGE, and won the right to challenge. The 1977 America’s Cup races took place at Newport Rhoes Island from September 13th to 18th but AUSTRALIA (KA-5) was unsuccessful in the challenge.
It would not be until 1983, with the next Australian challenge yacht AUSTRALIA II(KA-6), that Alan Bond, Ben Lexcen and the Australian crew, would finally win the America’s Cup.
Both 12mR challenge yachts shown on the Ben Lexcen sketch, SOUTHERN CROSS and AUSTRALIA are still afloat, active and sail. AUSTRALIA (KA-5) is now owned by the Australian 12mR Historic Trust and located near Drummoyne Sydney. And almost 50 years on, the 12-metre America’s Cup challenge yacht SOUTHEN CROSS (KA-4) is still sailing as a charter yacht in the Whitsunday Islands.SignificanceThe work by Ben Lexcen, showing two profile views of the 12mR challenge yacht SOUTHERN CROSS from 1974 and AUSTRALIA from 1977 shows how he was looking to reduce the overall weight of the later yacht and improve its sailing qualities. It is possible this drawing was made in 1975 during initial stage of the design project.
