Skip to main content
Advanced Search
Image Not Available for Plan of ocean racer with notes by Bob Miller and Norman Wright
Plan of ocean racer with notes by Bob Miller and Norman Wright
Image Not Available for Plan of ocean racer with notes by Bob Miller and Norman Wright

Plan of ocean racer with notes by Bob Miller and Norman Wright

Maker (died 1996)
Datebefore 1988
Object number00005816
NamePlan
MediumPaper, pencil
DimensionsOverall: 475 x 1014 mm, 0.05 kg
ClassificationsMaps, charts and plans
Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Norman Wright Jnr
DescriptionA hand drawn boat plan for a Moth class vessel by Bob Miller (later Ben Lexcen) with additional comments by Norman Wright Jnr. HistoryAttached to this plan is a handwritten note by Norman Wright Jnr attempting to decipher the pencil notes along the bottom of the drawing. Notes were made by both Wright and Miller. "This is a most interesting drawing that Bob did. I will endeavour to put my comments and his counter comments in their chronological order. First, the Bottom Right hand corner of the Drawing alludes I think to the fact that he was “pinched" for speeding in the VW. My comment - that [?] can’t afford a funeral. Then the design very (?) advanced I commented had a very sound/round [?] and was hard to slip especially if you don’t have "docking plan" as they are called. I had the job of slipping all the Southern yachts that came to Brisbane for Easter Gladstone Race. The Boatyard Trollies were orientated towards commercial craft because that was the bulk of the business (& still is). Bob says Bugger the slip, a more efficient decent (?) ship no trouble at all. My reply How would you like to try and slip 'Irma' (a big square almost flat passenger boat) on one of your special slips. I also comment - 'that Too much rake in the rudder post starts the water travelling up-hill when the rudder is pulled over too far. Robert - replies that the rake is 10% less than Saskia (I think her plans are in one of Uffa's Books) and that no good helmsman uses a lot of rudder anyway, and also that with a wide stern the boat will not need much rudder anyhow. My reply says that obviously you have not steered a yacht in blowing (?) conditions in a heavy sea. Bob's final broadside (?) says same under water profile as "Teal" (20 sq metre) who was a pretty good boat. Could do a lot worse. There were others like this but I could not find them but it shows how we were exchanging ideas at this time. In Newport - when Ben Bob was giving me a conducted Tour of Aussie II I remarked that is a pretty Nifty rudder shape you have there & he surprised me by saying You should know, you had one first like it on Jenny VI. It was beautifully Pear shaped & Bob said it was a most efficient shape he pioneered (?) in the tanks. Aft the mast cut off he started to sketch what a good trolley should look like. There is an attachment that fits one of the smaller (?) Trolleys at the Boatyard I saw in use a week ago. Incidentally the yard is now Entering its 75th year and I my 50th year as a 'chippie'. " SignificanceBoth Bob Miller (Ben Lexan) and Norman Wright Jnr played a significant role in Australia's racing yacht history. Both were innovative designers and as seen here, happy to comment on each others work.