Preliminary Lines Plan for 73' 0" Yacht for Jack Rooklyn
Designer
Ben Lexcen
(1936 - 1988)
Datec 1970
Object numberANMS1543[012]
NamePlan
Mediumpencil on drafting film
DimensionsOverall: 765 × 1360 mm
Copyright© Ben Lexcen
ClassificationsMaps, charts and plans
Credit LineAustralian National Maritime Museum Collection
DescriptionBALLYHOO lines plan. An in progress ‘working drawing’ by the hand of Ben Lexcen (Bob Miller), likely during 1975 when new calculation were made, addition weight added and the ballast keel re-cast.
HistoryBorn of Russian parents, at Blackburn, Lancashire in England on March 11th. 1908, Jack Rooklyn’s family migrated to Sydney, Australia in 1912. Together with his two older brothers, Harry and Maurice, he became involved in the entertainment industry, performing musical, comedy and illusion acts. He later lived and worked in America during the 1930’s and early 1940’s. On his return to Australia in the 1940’s, he began yacht racing with his boat ‘WHITE WINGS’ taking part in the Brisbane to Gladstone, and other races. His first Ben Lexcen (Bob Miller) designed yacht was the 57-foot ‘APOLLO’ which he bought from Alan Bond in 1970. He continued to race the yacht, successfully winning the 1978 Sydney Hobart race. Ben Lexcen (then Bob Miller), designed the 73-foot aluminium maxi racer BALLYHOO for Jack Rooklyn in 1974. The yacht was built by ‘Halvorsen, Morson and Gowland’, Sydney, Australia and launched in November of 1974. BALLYHOO was named after Jack Rooklyn’s business, Bally Gaming. With sail number 357, the first major race for BALLYHOO was the 1974 Sydney to Hobart race which started on December 26th. The first overseas race was in New Zealand, where she took part in the 1975 ‘Three Kings Islands Race’ before going on to the ‘Transpac Race’. Ben Lexcen (then Bob Miller) the designer, joined the yacht for the 1,227 mile, 1975 ‘Transpac Race’, race, from the Point Fermin buoy in San Pedro, California to Diamond Head in Hawaii. BALLYHOO was the first Australian yacht ever to enter this race. Following the race, the yacht and her crew, stayed in Hawaii to compete in the annual ‘Hawaiian Island Series’. This included the ‘Round the State Race’ in which BALLYHOO lost her rudder in very bad weather. Remarkably, the crew made up, a temporary rudder using the teak saloon table and spinnaker pole. The, following a difficult 250 miles back to Honolulu in 34 hours BALLYHOO still crossed the finish line ahead of some other yachts. Later the same year, BALLYHOO participated in the ‘China Sea Series’ including the race from Hong Kong to Manilla. Initially, the yacht did not sail as well, or as fast as expected, so in late 1975 and 1976 the weights were adjusted and the ballast keel re-cast. These changes made a significant improvement, making her a fast and highly successful offshore racing yacht in all wind conditions. In 1976 Jack Rooklyn accepted an invitation from the prestigious ‘California Yacht Club’ to race BALLYHOO in the California Cup and St. Francis Perpetual Series. BALLYHOO arrived in Los Angeles in 1976 following an amazing winning streak, which started with winning the ‘South China Sea Race’. In the 1976 California Cup race BALLYHOO beat the famous America maxi yacht ‘KIALO III’. The yacht then went on to Honolulu, for the ‘Round the State Race’ again, this time taking line honours and many hours off the elapsed time record. BALLYHOO pioneered the sloop rig maxi, and went on to win line honours in the 1976 Sydney-Hobart race and, many other races through years. The yacht sailed in all the major off-shore racing events in the coming years, wining Line Honours at the 1977 Fastnet Race in UK. BALLYHOO was sold to Bill Whitehouse-Vaux in 1978, who re-named the yacht MISTRESS QUICKLY and continued to race the yacht into the mid 1990’s. The yacht was used for charter and still sailing in 2019. SignificanceThis working drawing, showing the ‘Lines Plan’ of the 1974 maxi racing yacht BALLYHOO by Ben Lexcen, shows the calculations and changes to the ballast keel. The yacht sailed well, but not to the owner’s expectations, so the weights were studied and changed in late 1975 or 1976. These changes made a significant improvement to the yacht which became a well-known winner in many races around the world.
