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Image Not Available for General Arrangement Deck Plan
General Arrangement Deck Plan
Image Not Available for General Arrangement Deck Plan

General Arrangement Deck Plan

Designer (1936 - 1988)
Date1981
Object numberANMS1543[330]
NamePlan
MediumPencil on film
DimensionsOverall: 1370 x 760
Copyright© Ben Lexcen
ClassificationsMaps, charts and plans
Credit LineAustralian National Maritime Museum Collection purchased with USA Bicentennial Gift funds
DescriptionA Ben Lexcen initial design drawing, hand drawn in detail, when planning the deck, cockpit and sail handing equipment layout for use on the 12m America’s Cup racing yachts, AUSTRALIA II and CHALLENGE 12 in 1982. When every second counts in a race, the sail handling and trimming by the crew must go as smoothly and quickly as possible. The way the deck fittings, and sail control equipment, are laid out on a racing yacht is vital for its success. The drawing is an interesting insight into the way Lexcen studied the layout on one of his earlier yacht designs, in order to find the best possible layout for AUSTRALIA II.HistoryThe ’12 metre International Rule’ for racing yachts, participating in the America’s Cup, started in 1958 and ran up to 1987 when the International Americas Cup Class (IACC) was introduced. During this period, Australia yacht designer Ben Lexcen, designed seven America’s Cup challenge yachts. Australia’s quest for the coveted America’s Cup began in 1962 with the Alan Payne designed GRETEL. This was followed in 1966 with the Warwick J. Hood yacht DAME PATTIE and by GRETEL II in 1970. Alan Bond took up the challenge hopes in 1974 when he hired Lexcen (then Bob Miller) to design SOUTHERN CROSS (KA-4). Based on his lifelong experience designing, building and racing fast sailing yachts, including the successful ocean racing yachts: PLUM CRAZY, MERCEDES 111, APOLLO, GINKGO, BALLYHOO and CEIL II, Lexcen, was the obvious choice for Alan Bond. The 1974 challenge was not successful, but he went on to design and build AUSTRALIA (KA-5) for the 1977 and 1980 races. For the design of AUSTRALIA (KA-5) in 1977, Lexcen teamed up with Johan Valentijn, an experienced Dutch naval architect, who had worked for ‘Sparkman & Stephens’ in the US. The designers worked together as a partnership on a number of yachts including the 45-foot IOR yacht GUIA V in 1976, for the experienced Italian ocean racing yachtsman, Giorgio Falck. Lexcen and Valentijn spent seven months in 1976 testing 1/9th scale models of AUSTRALIA at the University of Delft test tank in the Netherlands. The use of the deck layout drawing of AUSTRALIA as a base design for the 1983 winning yacht AUSTRALIA II is an interesting insight showing how the designer is building on earlier ideas to find the best possible layout of the cockpit and sail handing gear. SignificanceA hands-on, in progress working drawing from 1982-83, when Ben Lexcen was designing the two America Cup challenge yachts, AUSTRALIA II and CHALLANGE 12. The way the deck fittings are laid out, and the way the crew work the boat as efficiently as possible, are key to any successful racing yacht when races are won or lost by a few seconds. The helmsman steering the yacht must have a clear uninterrupted view and not be distracted by having to adjust sails or back stays. Based on his experience the designer will take into account all the aspects of each crew member working the yacht and place the equipment in the most efficient location. Both yachts went to Newport Rhode Island in the US to race, but the lighter, more advanced designed AUSTRALIA II finally won the coveted America’s Cup.