Half hull model of 12-metre yacht KOOKABURRA III
Model Maker
Frank Allen
Date1991
Object number00015624
NameModel
MediumJelutong wood coated with sanding sealer, primer, automotive lacquer
DimensionsOverall: 142 x 765 mm, 0.75 kg
ClassificationsModels
Credit LineANMM Collection
DescriptionThis builder's half block model was made by Frank Allen after the 12-metre yacht, KOOKABURRA III. The model was created based on photographs and plans of KOOKABURRA I and II.HistoryKOOKABURRA III was designed by Iain Murray and John Swarbrick and built in Perth by Parry Boat Builders in 1987. Backed by the Western Australian businessman Kevin Parry, Iain Murray sailed KOOKABURRA III in the Defender Round Robins series against Alan Bond's AUSTRALIA IV. In the end, KOOKABURRA easily beat AUSTRALIA IV 5-nil, which put Bond's group out of the America's Cup for the first time in 13 years.
Iain Murray went on to sail KOOKABURRA in the America's Cup of the same year but lost to the American challenger STARS & STRIPES 87.SignificanceThis model is a record of the innovations in 12-metre yacht design during the 1980s, when Australia produced a series of yachts as challengers to the America's Cup. KOOKABURRA III was the 1987 America's Cup challenger. It is a lasting tribute to the 12-metre class before it became outmoded in 1987 and, it represents an important episode in Australia's yacht building history.
