BALLYHOO keel offsets

Designer Ben Lexcen (1936 - 1988)

Date1975

Object numberANMS1543[014]

NamePlan

Mediumink on drafting film

DimensionsOverall: 250 × 350 mm

ClassificationsMaps, charts and plans

Credit LineAustralian National Maritime Museum Collection

Terms

DescriptionBALLYHOO Ballast keel, ‘table of offsets’ for the world famous 73-foot maxi-racer designed by Ben Lexcen (formally Bob Miller) for Jack Rooklyn in 1974. 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. It is perhaps noteworthy, that Ben Lexcen (then Bob Miller) was also designing the 12mR Americas Cup challenge yacht SOUTHERN CROSS for Alan Bond in 1973 and 1974. Design work on BALLYHOO took place initially in late 1973 and 1974 while still in the ‘Miller & Whitworth’ partnership. 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 BALLYHOO a fast and highly successful offshore racing yacht in all wind conditions. Design work was also carried out in 1976, by which time Ben Lexcen (still Bob Miller) joined with the Dutch naval architect Johan Valentijn. 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. She took part in the 2001 ‘Maxi-yacht Rolex Cup Race’ in Porto Cervo, Sardinia and is believed to still be sailing today as a charter yacht. SignificanceFollowing the 1974 Sydney Hobart Race, the owner may have wanted changes made to the yacht. It was less than one month old when starting this first race, so little time to fully test or carry out extensive sea trials. With a date of January 1975, and drawn by ‘Miller & Whitworth’ designers, the work is clearly from the period prior to Ben Lexcen I then Bob Miller) left the partnership.