45'-0" I.O.R. Boat Lead Keel Lines, Miller and Whitworth Design

Designer Ben Lexcen (1936 - 1988)

DateMay 1972

Object numberANMS1543[137]

NamePlan

MediumInk and pencil on drafting film

Dimensions495 x 760

ClassificationsMaps, charts and plans

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

Terms

DescriptionAn accurate, scaled working drawing by Ben Lexcen from May 1972, showing the final calculations, table of offsets and fine details of the lead ballast keel for a 45-foot IOR racing yacht.HistoryWith the design drawing date of May 1972, part of the hull shown, and ’45-foot IOR Boat’ written on the etiquette, the ballast keel is almost certainly for GINGKO which was launched two months later, in July 1972. The design proved highly successful as GINKGO and APOLLO II were sister ships and both successful racing yachts in Australia and England. The ballast keel drawing has clearly been used several times over a number of years. At the bottom of the keel, Ben Lexcen has written ‘design 30, 6” more draft’. This has particular interest as design 30 was a 45-foot IOR racing yacht designed by Ben Lexcen and Johannes Valentijn in 1976 for Georgia Falk. His yacht, GUIA III (ex-GINKGO) was hit and sunk by a killer whale in March 1976 during the Cape to Rio Ocean race. He commissioned ‘Miller & Valentijn’ to design an almost identical yacht. This proved to be ‘design 30’, the 45’ IOR racing yacht GUIA IV. This is a well-made, highly detailed ‘working design drawing’ of the ballast keel used on several successful ocean racing yachts of the 1970’s. SignificanceThe design drawing clearly shows the finely worked lines and calculations made by the designer Ben Lexcen (Bob Miller). It also shows the drawing has been used to study or develop three other keels options for the same boat, or others built to the same design. The design shows an option of a six-inch deeper keel on ‘Design 30’ with a different trailing edge angle.