Lines plan for international 5.5 meter rating sloop

Designer Ben Lexcen (1936 - 1988)

Date23 June 1980

Object numberANMS1543[062]

NamePlan

MediumPaper

Dimensions535 x 855

ClassificationsMaps, charts and plans

Credit LineAustralian National Maritime Museum Collection purchased with USA Bicentennial Gift funds

Terms

DescriptionLines plan for international 5.5 meter rating sloop for Frank Tolhurst and drawn by Warren Muir. HistoryOf this design Warren Muir commented “I have never actually worked with Ben Lexcen, although his name is on the WARRIOR/ARUNGA/MELGES designs. It was at the insistence of Frank Tolhurst that it came about.” “Frank came to me in 1981 with two pieces of paper, one with the design of the Luders boat SOUTHERN CROSS IV and one with the design of the Sparkman and Stevens boat, SOUTHERN CROSS III. He told me that he and Ben Lexcen had been discussing a new design and they thought the bow of SC3 was better than SC4 but that the stern of SC4 was better than SC3 so they were going to join them together. As Ben Lexcen was fully involved with the America’s Cup the thoughts were never put down on paper. Frank asked me if I could complete the ideas that he and Ben had talked about. I said sure I would give it a go.” “It proved to be a bigger problem than first thought about as the mid-ship sections of both boats were totally different and would not join together. After discussing this with Frank we kept the first four feet of SC3 and the last four feet of SC4 and I redrew everything in between and made it all rate to the 5.5m rule and drew up construction drawings and specifications to meet the Lloyds scantling rules. When it came time to actually put a designer to the drawings Frank said Ben should get some recognition for his previous thought so that is how the name Ben Lexcen was placed into the design drawings. In fact Ben never even saw the finished design until the boat was sailing at RPAYC, where he thanked me for doing a nice job.” - Robert Deaves fivepointfive - April 2020