45' IOR yacht construction plan
Designer
Ben Lexcen
(1936 - 1988)
Date1972
Object numberANMS1543[008]
NamePlan
MediumPaper
Dimensions740 x 1105
Copyright© Ben Lexcen
ClassificationsMaps, charts and plans
Credit LineAustralian National Maritime Museum Collection purchased with USA Bicentennial Gift funds
DescriptionHull construction drawing by Ben Lexcen, (formally Bob Miller at Miller & Whitworth) for a 45-foot wooden IOR racing yacht.
HistoryIn order to produce racing yachts which were lighter and faster, yacht designers in the 1960’s and early 70’s started using cold-moulded wooden hulls. This method involves gluing, or laminating, several layers of thin wood or veneer, together over a jig or mould to form a light strong one-piece hull. Ben Lexcen (formally Bob Miller) was familiar with the cold-moulding method as he had built and raced fast dinghies like the Flying Dutchman. His first cold-moulded yacht was the 40-foot MERCEDES III, built by Cec Quilkey and launched in 1966. The hull was cold-moulded in four layers of Oregon Pine (Douglas-fir) laid up in alternative diagonal layers. The keel, hull frames, deck beams and floors were all laminated in Queensland maple. MERCEDES III was an immediate success, winning her first race the day after the mast was stepped. The ‘Hull Construction’ drawing, marked 45-foot IOR yacht from 1972, is almost certainly for GINKGO designed and built for Australian entrepreneur, Garry Bogard. GINKGO was built of cold moulded wood by ‘Halvorsen, Morson & Gowland Pty Ltd’ and launched in July 1972. The second yacht to this design was APOLLO II, built for Alan Bond also by ‘Halvorsen, Morson & Gowland Pty Ltd.’ but in aluminium. GINKGO enjoyed a successful racing career in Australia and in the British Admirals Cup in 1973. During the Montague Island race of September 29th. 1972, which started from ‘’The Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club, GINKGO soon took the lead over the 38 other racing yachts in the 320-mile offshore race. Gary Bogard in GINKGO won line honours and overall winner over Rick Dowling on ‘QUEEQUEG and Syd Fischer on RAGAMUFFIN. The yacht also took part in the 630-mile Sydney to Hobart race of 1972 with owner Garry Bogard as captain and came 3rd. GINKGO also won the first Admirals Cup trials in Australia in 1972 over Alan Bonds APOLLO II. Ben Lexcen (Bob Miller) designed two smaller versions of this yacht: CEIL III and RAMPAGE, which won handicap honours in the Sydney to Hobart race. Following the success of GINKGO and APOLLO II, Miller & Whitworth, marketed the design around the world, and named it ‘The Admiral Cup 45’. After the 1973 Admirals Cup race in England GINKGO never returned home to Australia. The yacht changed hands in late 1973, bought by experienced Italian racing yachtsman Giorgio Falck. Renamed ‘GUIA III’ the yacht sailed for Italy in the 1975 series, came second in one race and proved to be Italy's best yacht. With Giorgia Falk as captain, ‘GUIA III’ was in the 1976 Cape to Rio race but on March 9th. the yacht was attacked by a killer whale 700-mile SW of the Cape Verde Islands. One of a pod of four Oca attacked the yacht which sank shortly after. The crew of six managed to launch the life-raft and luckily were rescued some days later. Giorgio Falck immediately commissioned Ben Lexcen, then in partnership with Johan Valentijn, to design a new yacht, ‘GUIA IV’ based on the 45-foot GINKGO.
SignificanceThe ‘Hull Construction’ drawing, designed by Ben Lexcen (then Bob Miller) and his team at ‘Miller & Whitworth in 1972, is for the wooden 45-foot IOR yacht GINKGO. 
