Deck layout for 72 foot racing yacht
Designer
Ben Lexcen
(1936 - 1988)
Datec 1974
Object numberANMS1543[050]
NamePlan
Mediumink on drafting film
Dimensions620 x 1240
Copyright© Ben Lexcen
ClassificationsMaps, charts and plans
Credit LineAustralian National Maritime Museum Collection purchased with USA Bicentennial Gift funds
DescriptionDetailed ’Deck Plan Drawing, showing the deck layout, fittings, suppliers and number of parts, for the world famous 72-foot maxi-racer BALLYHOO designed by Ben Lexcen (formally Bob Miller) for Jack Rooklyn in 1973 and 1974.
HistoryThe design of the 72-foot aluminium maxi-racer for Jack Rooklyn, started during June or July 1973 by Ben Lexcen (formally Bob Miller), and his design team at ‘Miller & Whitworth’. The yacht was built by ‘Halvorsen, Morson and Gowland’, Sydney, Australia, and launched in November of 1974. The owner, Jack Rooklyn, named the yacht BALLYHOO after his Australian business, ‘Bally Gaming’. His first Ben Lexcen (Bob Miller) designed yacht was the 57-foot APOLLO, which he bought from Alan Bond in 1970.
The first major offshore race for the new BALLYHOO, was the Sydney to Hobart race, which started on December 31st. 1974, a month after the yacht was launched. Still new and untested, she came in 16th. The first race outside Australian waters was in New Zealand, where she took part in the 1975 ‘Three Kings Islands Race’ before sailing on to Los Angeles in the United States. Ben Lexcen (then Bob Miller) the designer, joined the yacht as watch captain 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 1975 ‘Transpac 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 started during the early summer of 1973 and 1974 while Ben Lexcen (then Bob Miller) was 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.
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.
The in-house design number of BALLYHOO was ‘705’ and marketed by ‘Miller & Whitworth’ as the M&W 72’, even after Ben Lexcen left the partnership. No information is available if another yacht was built to this design.SignificanceThe deck plan drawing, showing the layout, location, and manufactures details, on the 72-foot racing yacht, is a ‘working drawing’ used by the design team and the shipyard during the build of the yacht. The system and style of work, drawing each deck fitting on the deck plan, along with the manufacturer, started in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. It is still used today by yacht designers and builders, and of particular help when costing and purchasing the parts. Almost all yacht design work is now done with 2D and 3D computer aid design programs, but suppliers produce CAD drawing of their parts, which can be easily and quickly be included in the main design drawings.
