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Bob Hawke, Alan Bond and Ben Lexcen were key players in Australia II's extraordinary 1983 America's Cup victory

Topic: Sailing

It was the David and Goliath story that put Australia on the world sailing map, an extraordinary feat that ended the longest winning streak in any sport, anywhere in the world.

And with a rich list of characters including a larrikin prime minister, a millionaire businessman whose dodgy business dealings funded the enterprise, and a genius inventor whose top-secret keel design was to revolutionise the yachting world, the story of how Australia snatched the famed America's Cup from the New York Yacht Club (NYYC) in 1983 is the stuff of legend.

In the storied 132-year history of the cup, no challenger had come close to threatening the dominance of the well-to-do NYYC, which had held the trophy since winning a sailing race around the Isle of Wight in the UK in 1851.

The storied New York Yacht Club in New York City, home to generations of America's wealthiest families including the Vanderbilts and Rothschilds. ( Facebook: New York Yacht Club )

Indeed, some NYYC members seemed to regard the prestigious trophy as the club's unassailable birthright, over which it would have permanent custody.

Alan Bond, however, had other ideas.

The national hero who became a villain

Yet to be unmasked as a corporate villain who swindled millions from investors and taxpayers, Bond in 1983 was well on the way to becoming the national treasure the America's Cup would turn him into, albeit temporarily.

Back then he was the rags-to-riches success story that so many Australians aspired to be, the humble sign writer turned millionaire property developer who had migrated from the UK in 1950 without a penny to his name.

Alan Bond's rags-to-riches tale endeared him to many. (  Supplied: Renni Ellis Photographic Archive )

Over the subsequent decades, his burgeoning business empire would go on to encompass land developments, breweries, television stations, diamonds, oil, gold, an entire English village, a Gold Coast university and even world-famous Impressionist paintings, to name just a few of his colourful enterprises.

Bond's passion for making money was matched by his skill at self-promotion, and in the America's Cup he sensed an opportunity to make a name for himself on the world stage.

Bond's business empire included an eponymous university in Queensland. ( Bond University )

Journalist Paul Barry's biography, The Rise and Fall of Alan Bond, quotes him telling a journalist: "Anyone who considers racing for the America's Cup isn't a business proposition, is a bloody fool."

If increasing his profile and leveraging opportunity was the aim, Bond succeeded wildly.

By 1983 he'd already financed three America's Cup challenges, earning an Australian of the Year award for his efforts in 1978.

Australia II was Alan Bond's fourth attempt to snatch the coveted America's Cup. ( Grant Simmer )

And his perseverance was to pay even bigger dividends on the fourth attempt when Australia II crossed the finish line on September 26, 1983, to snatch the unlikeliest of victories from the jaws of defeat, making Bond a national hero and giving him the sort of wall-to-wall publicity even he could have scarcely dreamed of.

The top-secret advantage

Like Bond, boat designer Ben Lexcen was a self-made man with little formal education.

After designing three previous boats for America's Cup challenges, only one of which managed to win a single race, Lexcen knew a radical new approach would be needed to win the cup.

Ever the gambler, Bond was prepared to back his man.

Ben Lexcen spent months working on the design for Australia II and its revolutionary keel. ( National Archives of Australia: A6315, K25/10/83/9 )

Lexcen was sent to a sailing design institute in the Netherlands, reportedly with a blank cheque from Bond, to work on a new design.

What emerged from months of testing has gone down in the annals of sailing history.

Lexcen had developed a radical new 'winged' keel, like nothing the sailing world had ever seen before which was to herald a revolution in yacht design.

The winged keel made Lexcen's new boat, Australia II , much faster and more manoeuvrable – and importantly, the Australians' secret weapon also became a psychological weapon.

Australia II, with her famous winged keel hidden, is transported from the shed where she was built in Cottesloe, to Fremantle dock with a police escort.  ( Supplied: State Library of Western Australia )

The team went to great lengths to hide it from the outside world and the Americans in particular, shrouding the keel in tarpaulins as it was transported and hiring armed guards around the clock to protect it from prying eyes.

The unlikely victory

With six unsuccessful challenges behind it, beginning in 1962 with media mogul Frank Packer's yacht Gretel, Australia was thought to have little chance of winning the imposing sterling silver trophy from the iron grip of the US.

But when Australia II  began to dominate the trial races to choose a contender for the 1983 America's Cup, the scions of the NYYC were determined to do everything in their power to win.

Alan Bond and his wife Eileen were central figures in the drama of the America's Cup win. ( State Library of WA: Roger Garwood )

First, they tried to buy the keel design from the Netherlands testing facility where it was developed, and when that failed, they repeatedly tried to claim the keel violated the rules of the race, though it had been earlier deemed allowable. That tactic also failed.

Nonetheless, the 1983 competition had begun in emphatic style for the US team on their boat Liberty, which easily defeated the Australians in the first two races, helped by equipment failure on Australia II .

Australia II's secret winged keel began to unnerve the Americans after its resounding victories in the qualifying races. ( Larry Moran, Chicago )

Then unexpectedly, the Australian boat won the third race of the series, only to lose the fourth, leaving the Americans in a commanding position at 3-1 in the best-of-seven series.

But when the Australians snatched victory in the fifth, then the sixth race, sailing fever engulfed the nation and suddenly everyone wanted to be a part of it.

It was the first time in 132 years the tournament had even run to a seventh race – usually the Americans won it convincingly in just four – and tensions ran high.

Australia II was behind Liberty for most of the final race and few expected her to win. ( Larry Moran, Chicago )

The defining moment came in the middle of the night Australian time.

After starting the race well behind Liberty, Australia II surged forward in the last leg of the nail-bitingly close final to cross the finish line ahead by a convincing 41 seconds.

Improbably, the cup was Australia's.

Alan Bond (centre) and Australia II skipper John Bertrand (right) give the thumbs up sign to fans that surrounded the dock after their victory in the America's Cup. ( AFP )

The nation's pride

Forty years on, it's almost impossible to convey the sheer joy and pride that washed over Australia in the wake of the victory.

Millions had tuned in overnight to watch the coverage on television, and apart from the joyous moment Australia II sailed across the finish line, were additionally treated to images of an ecstatic prime minister, who had rushed to Royal Perth Yacht Club for the celebrations.

Perth residents celebrate after waking to the news Australia had won the America's Cup. ( National Archives of Australia )

Dressed in an unforgettable jacket emblazoned with the word Australia and doused in champagne, an almost hysterically excited Hawke famously declared: "Any boss who sacks anyone today for not turning up is a bum".

Waking up bleary-eyed the next day, it was as if the country had taken leave of its senses.

Boxing kangaroo flags decorated shops and houses (a windfall for Bond who owned the image), those that had taken Hawke's advice to take the day off flocked to pubs and clubs to celebrate, and television and talkback radio was giddy with the excitement of it all.

The nation celebrated the cup victory with huge excitement. ( National Archives of Australia )

The anthem of the Australia II team, Men at Work's Down Under , was played incessantly, and the nation revelled in the glory.

It was more than just a sporting contest. Somehow this relatively obscure tournament held on the other side of the world had united the country in joy and excitement.

Prime Minister Bob Hawke and Alan Bond were key figures in the America's Cup celebrations. ( National Archives of Australia: A8746, KN16/11/83/46 )

Australia loves an underdog and the country's larrikin spirit, embodied in its prime minister, was elevated to new heights by the minnow yachting syndicate from an obscure sailing club in Perth trouncing the might of the US establishment.

The country erupted in a celebration that was to last weeks, the culmination of which was the triumphant return of the boat and its crew to Australia a month after their stunning victory.

Perth's moment of glory

Home city Perth threw a huge parade through the city and a day-long concert on the city's foreshore featuring the crème de la creme of the 1983 entertainment scene, including Peter Allen and the now disgraced Rolf Harris. 

Rolf Harris was among a host of performers at the America's Cup celebrations in Perth. ( Supplied: State Library of Western Australia )

More than 200,000 people are estimated to have turned out that day – nearly a quarter of the city's population – to cheer on the conquering heroes and get a glimpse of the famed trophy.

Huge crowds flocked to the Esplanade in Perth for the America's Cup celebrations in October 1983. ( Richard Woldendorp: State Library of Western Australia )

Freelance photographer Roger Garwood remembers it well, and his anecdote about that time encapsulates the heightened emotions many felt.

Joy and excitement swept across Australia when the America's Cup was won. ( State Library of Western Australia: Richard Woldendorp )

Inundated with requests from editors around the world for an image of the cup itself, Mr Garwood phoned Royal Perth Yacht Club to ask if he could photograph it, and was surprised to be told the club would deliver it to his home in Fremantle.

Police guard the America's Cup during celebrations for Australia's 1983 victory. ( National Archives of Australia: A61, K3/11/83/16 )

"The cup had arrived in a Holden car driven by a security guard," he said.

"It was in a Perspex case, sitting on the front passenger seat and strapped in place by the seat belt.

"We carefully unloaded it and carried it down the hallway to the living room where it was taken from its case.

"Thus [my home] was the first place the cup visited in Fremantle and arguably the first private home in Australia."

Without telling him what was in store, Mr Garwood urged his parents — mother Ethel and his sailing mad father Oliver — to come over quickly.

Photographer Roger Garwood's father Oliver (Bob), pictured with his mother Ethel and eight-year-old son Ben, was overwhelmed to see the America's Cup trophy in his son's lounge room. ( Supplied: Roger Garwood )

"They had no clue and walked into the living room where the old boy, now 82, was totally dumbstruck," Mr Garwood recalled.

"He stood for a few seconds staring at the cup, not quite understanding how this moment had come about.

"Then he burst into tears."

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Show us the Keel: Winning the America’s Cup in 1983

Australia II has become one of the nation’s most recognisable vessels, thanks to that extraordinary America’s Cup win in 1983. Almost everyone knows about its upside-down winged keel designed by Australian Ben Lexcen that was unbeatable that year.  

In May 1981 Ben Lexcen sent this cryptic telex message from Wageningen (Netherlands) to Perth:

" ABOUT TO TAKE YACHT DESIGN INTO THE SPACE AGE DARTH VADER LOOKS GOOD IN COMPUTER IN 3 DIMENSION WILL TEST ON WEDNESDAY 10th JUNE BEN SKYWALKER" Lexcen had begun testing keel designs with a team at the Netherlands Ship Model Basin. He named his radical concept of an upside-down keel with winglets ‘Darth Vader’, referring to the all-powerful villain of the Star Wars movies that took cinema by storm in 1977 and 1980. Signing his own name after character Luke Skywalker added to the Star Wars connection. Lexcen’s references to Star Wars were part of his quirky character that masked enormous technical ability and non-linear thinking. His drawings chart the progress from a conventional design to the winged profile. His design challenged the strict formula for designing 12-Metre class racing yachts, known as the America’s Cup Rule. A revolution was about to occur. Australia II , with its winged keel was kept literally under wraps before the America’s Cup races off Newport, Rhode Island. To chants of ‘Show us the keel!’ and a media frenzy about what is hidden under the covers, Australia II and its boxing kangaroo mascot sailed to victory and into the hearts and minds of Australians.  26 September 1983 was a monumental day in the history of Australian sport.

Show us the Keel: Winning the America’s Cup in 1983 takes us back to September 1983 when John Bertrand and his crew crossed the line to take the America’s Cup from the USA for the first time in its history. Alongside the design drawings, the exhibition includes a range of items associated with the win. The free exhibition is in Wharf 7, Maritime Heritage Building behind the main museum building and is open from 9am to 5 pm Monday to Friday.

Australian National Maritime Museum, Director, Ms Daryl Karp interviews Australia II skipper, John Bertrand AO on sailing, leadership and the America’s Cup 40 years on.

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Wharfies' Mural

Australia II

Australia II was built for the 25th America’s Cup in 1983 under the Third International Rule.  She competed and defeated the American yacht, ‘Liberty’, the first time the Cup had been taken away from the New York Yacht Club.  The innovative wing keel design of Australia II gave her the winning edge but Dennis Conner, the defeated skipper, was back with a vengeance for the next America’s Cup in 1987.

Australia II is now owned by the National Museum of Australia and was ‘let out’ to attend the America’s Cup Jubilee Regatta at Cowes in 2001.

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Team Sport Australia Award | 2002

On every occasion across the 132 years leading into the 1983 America’s Cup, no international team had successfully challenged the New York Yacht Club and taken the Cup home with them. However, the Australian syndicate representing the Royal Perth Yacht Club fielding the Australia II, skippered by Legend of Australian Sport, John Bertrand AO , fought back from a 3-races-to-1 deficit to not only end the United States’ domination of the racing series, but also snap the longest winning streak in sporting history.

Australia II was billed as one of the biggest threats to America’s dominance in the 12-metre class, however, the boat, designed by SAHOF Member Ben Lexcen AM , complete with the revolutionary ‘winged keel’, was subject to controversy from the outset of the challenger series after the New York Yacht Club alleged the keel wasn’t legal and that the boat hadn’t been “designed and constructed in country” as per America’s Cup rules. The boat was eventually ruled legal with her, and her crew allowed to participate, and they dominated the challenger series before entering the America’s Cup finals as the most promising contender to date.

In the finals, the US yacht Liberty  won the first and second races by over a minute – due to Australia II suffering multiple setbacks, including equipment failure – before the Aussies returned fire in the third race, and then – after Liberty had won the fourth – the fifth and sixth, which took the series to a Cup-deciding seventh race – this was the first time the America’s Cup had been gone beyond five races. About 2000 boats turned out to watch the historic seventh race on September 24, however, disappointingly, it had to be abandoned due to unstable weather conditions. 

The rescheduled final race was televised live in Australia during the early hours of September 27, 1983. The early stages of the race were cautious as neither team wanted to make a mistake that would result in a protest, and after the Australians started well, Liberty recovered and took the lead. At the start of the penultimate leg (a square run), it looked as though the Cup would stay in Newport yet again, however, two vital differences on this leg let Australia II regain the lead – her spinnaker was set and held better than Liberty , and she was able to find a few extra lifts of wind that eluded her rival. Australia II  held on until both boats reached the starboard layline in amongst the spectator fleet and tacked several boat lengths ahead of  Liberty before sailing to the finish to take the race by 41 seconds, thus becoming the first successful challenger in the 132 years since the schooner boat America  won it in a race around England’s Isle of Wight.

It was just before dawn in Australia and, as Australians celebrated the victory in public venues across the country, Australia’s Prime Minister, Bob Hawke was interviewed at the celebration at Royal Perth YC when, after he had humorously fended off repeated questions from journalists wondering whether he would declare a public holiday, he joked that “any boss who sacks a worker for not turning up today is a bum!” which was met with rapturous laughter.

Australia II ‘s win prompted US President, Ronald Regan to write to Mr Hawke to congratulate him. He wrote, “Dear Bob, if the America’s Cup had to leave the United States, I am delighted that its home will be in Australia – at least until the next race. All Australians must be justifiably proud of the extraordinary team effort, skill and sportsmanship that brought off this magnificent victory. I hope you will share with all those who had anything to do with Australia II’s success my congratulations and those of the American people.” He finished by stating that “One major consolation for us is that the next race will provide a large number of Americans the opportunity to enjoy the beauty and hospitality of Perth as they seek to bring home the Cup. Sincerely, Ronald Regan”

This victory by Australia II and her crew was a landmark event for the nation of Australia and one that transcended sailing to become the symbol of a time when Australia came of age and made our mark on the international stage.

Competition The America’s Cup

Captain John Bertrand AO

Team Members: John Bertrand AO (Skipper), Colin Beashel, Peter Costello, Damien Fewster, Ken Judge, Skip Lissiman, John Longley, Brian Richardson, Phil Smidmore, Grant Simmer, Hugh Treharne Reserves: Will Baillieu, Rob Brown, Sir James Hardy OBE, Scott McAllister

Image: ABC/Larry Moran, Chicago

Professional BoatBuilder Magazine

Australia ii wing keel controversy – part 2.

By Professional BoatBuilder , Mar 20, 2024

On the morning of August 6, 1981, Peter van Oossanen, left, and two technicians at the Netherlands Ship Model Basin (NSMB) carried out tests of the final hull, keel, winglets, trim tab, and rudder configuration of Australia II, the Australian challenger for the 1983 America’s Cup.

We pick up Peter van Oossanen’s account in Part 1 of his team’s involvement in developing Australia II .

On April 9, 1981, I sent a telex to designer Ben Lexcen, asking him what changes he wanted to make to the  Australia model after it had been tested. We had discussed this in Sydney on March 13, but that hadn’t led to a firm plan. He replied that he wanted to change the sweepback angle of the keel and, afterward, test a thicker version. I was surprised he was thinking of such small changes, suspecting they wouldn’t be sufficient. We had earlier discussed major modifications such as those relating to shortening the waterline length, reducing displacement, and testing widely differing keels for Australia II.

More than a year prior, I had met Joop Slooff, an aerodynamicist employed by the National Aerospace Laboratory (NLR) in Amsterdam. We had been seconded to a Royal Netherlands Navy working group studying the merits of employing advanced marine vehicles for specific naval tasks. We discovered we had similar interests, one of which was sailing. I called Slooff on April 13 to ask about the possibility of performing calculations to determine the merits, in terms of lift and drag, of widely differing keel shapes. He was enthusiastic and agreed to perform the study. After he’d informed me of the approximate cost, I sent a telex to Warren Jones, executive director of Alan Bond’s  America ’s Cup Challenge, and Lexcen on April 15: “A new computer program has become available at the aerospace laboratory in Amsterdam with which a study can be carried out to determine the optimum shape of the keel for maximizing side force and minimizing the associated (induced) drag. I strongly recommend that this program be used to arrive at one of the alternatives to be tank-tested. Please forward your agreement, or otherwise, by return telex. The results of the calculations would be available in time for incorporation into the test program in May. The additional costs involved are in the order of . . .”

Fitted with the controversial wing keel, the 12-Meter Australia II, left, defeated defender Liberty, right, ending U.S. domination of America’s Cup competition since 1851.

Slooff was unfamiliar with the  America ’s Cup and the type of yacht used for the event, so I decided to visit him to inform him of the format of the race, about 12-Meter class yachts, and that any work he was to do was to be kept strictly secret. When he confirmed that condition would not be a problem, we discussed the next steps. He and his colleagues offered to carry out the calculations for as many as five keels of drastically varying aspect ratios and sweepback angles, all at a minor cost. Slooff’s superior sent me a formal proposal by letter. Since I still hadn’t received a reply to my April telex, I called Jones. He wanted Lexcen to decide on the study, so I called directly. Lexcen was lukewarm to the idea but agreed to have it done when I told him that I didn’t believe his modifications of the existing keel would offer enough potential performance improvement. A colleague and I visited Slooff in Amsterdam that same afternoon. We finalized the scope and details of the work and the shape of the four keels to be studied, with the fifth keel reserved for the best of the four fitted with winglets. (Slooff had convinced me to look at the merits of winglets.) He estimated he could complete calculations for the first four keels by May 19, 1981.

Lexcen and his wife, Yvonne, had arrived on April 28. I met with Slooff and Lexcen at the Netherlands Ship Model Basin (NSMB) on May 4. We discussed the keel configurations for which Slooff would perform calculations, and Lexcen told us about the two keel modifications he wanted to have tested. We set him up in an office close to the testing site, and NSMB staff prepared drawings of the two keel modifications and had them built such that when the base keel was removed from the model, these new variations could be fitted.

Lexcen said he wanted to work on the design of a laminated composite construction he envisioned adopting for the new boat. As far as I’m aware, this was the first time anyone considered composite construction for a 12-Meter, with New Zealand being the first to actually do it, in the 1987 Cup. He told me that while he was with us, he would visit  Lloyd’s Register  in London to seek approval of his construction plan before returning to Australia.

The top figure shows the original Australia fitted with the base keel (model reference: Keel I), and alternative keels—one possessing less sweep (Keel II), the thicker keel (Keel III), and the first “inverted” keel (Keel IV), and with crude winglets (Winglets I). The middle figure shows the original Australia hull fitted with the smaller inverted keel with more refined winglets (Keel V with Winglets II). At bottom, the 44′ (13.41m) hull is fitted with the final inverted keel and winglets (Keel V A and Winglets II A), and new rudder.

The extensive series of tests with the base model, which included fine-tuning the towing arrangement, finished on May 6. We spent two days analyzing the results and discussed our findings with Lexcen on May 11.

Four days later, Lexcen returned to NSMB with Jones as we performed the tests with the  Australia  hull fitted with Keel II (the leading edge of which had less sweepback but was otherwise the same as the base keel—Keel I). We tested the thicker version (Keel III) the next day. The three of us spent time on the towing carriage on both days, discussing the project and the results thus far.

Meanwhile, Slooff had completed the calculations for the four “planar” keels. He called me on May 12 to say that the “inverted” keel (possessing zero sweepback and a taper ratio equal to 2.0) was marginally better, leading to approximately a 1% increase in velocity made good to windward in 8 knots of true wind.

By today’s standards, the subject calculations were crude, the hull, keel, and rudder having been primitively modeled by relatively large flat surface panels and, in adhering to zero heel for these calculations, not addressing the physics properly. I figured that the error in the subject calculations would probably be the same in all four cases, however, leading to the conclusion that the inverted keel was not inferior to the base keel. I remember thinking that the advantage of adopting the inverted keel lay in the possibility of fitting the required lead ballast lower in the keel—precisely the characteristic required of the 44 ‘  (13.41 m) waterline length concept.

Before Jones returned to Australia, I proposed redesigning the hull to test the 44 ‘  concept in the tank with the inverted keel. After considerable discussion, we agreed to first test the inverted concept on the existing  Australia  hull to check Slooff’s calculations. We referred to that model as Keel IV.

In a meeting with Lexcen on May 19, Slooff expanded on what he had told me over the phone. We agreed with his suggestion to add winglets to the panel model of the inverted keel and to repeat the calculations. We discussed the design of these winglets in terms of location, span, chord length, and dihedral angle. The resulting configuration constituted the fifth and final model to be analyzed by NLR.

We had another long discussion with Lexcen about the results of the model tests with the base keel (Keel I) and Keels II and III. The results in terms of the speed made good to windward (V MG ) at discrete true wind speeds were as listed in  Table 1 .

These results reveal that Keel II possesses lower V MG  values at true wind speeds up to 8 knots and small increases at higher true wind speeds. And Keel III yields lower speed made good to windward values at true wind speeds up to 9 knots and somewhat greater improvements at higher wind speeds. Lexcen wasn’t unhappy with these results, but he realized that they were not going to win the  America ’s Cup for Australia.

The drawings required for the manufacture of Keel IV (with and without winglets) were prepared between May 20 and 22. I had instructed Henk van Amersfoort, the draftsman seconded to me for the project, to adopt the same lateral area as the base keel, the same foil shape, for the quarter-chord distribution across the span to possess zero sweepback, and to adopt a taper ratio of 2.0. The two of us designed that first keel with and without winglets, with input from Slooff.

In the top drawing, the continuous line is the contour of the original Australia keel (with Keel I). The dash-dotted contours are the thicker keel (Keel III); and the dashed line is the more upright profile (Keel II). The contours in the middle figure are the first inverted keel (Keel IV) on the original Australia hull fitted with (crude) winglets (Winglets I). The continuous line in the bottom figure is the refined inverted keel on the Australia hull (Keel V and Winglets II); and the dashed line is the final keel (Keel V A) and winglets (Winglets II A) and trim tab on the 44′ hull (note the vertical trim tab stock)

Testing the Winglets

On June 5 Slooff told me that his calculations indicated the winglets reduced the drag due to lift (the induced drag) by as much as 35%. I was relieved; we had already prepared drawings of the winglets as an add-on to the inverted keel, and the manufacture had commenced. Lexcen was in London to discuss the yacht’s construction with  Lloyd’s Register .

We tested the model fitted with the inverted keel on Monday, June 9, and added the winglets late that evening for tank-testing the next day. Lexcen was present both days, and I invited Slooff to witness the tests with the winglets fitted. Our eyes were glued to the raw data the computer on the towing carriage spat out after each run. That information told us that the generated lift (side force) of the hull fitted with Keel IV and Winglets I was significantly higher, as was the drag. The winglets had added wetted surface area, leading to higher friction drag. It became obvious to all of us that afternoon that the keel needed to be considerably smaller, retaining its depth but decreasing chord length. My graph of measured side force versus leeway angle led me to propose a reduction of 25%. When that was decided, my draftsman was given instructions on how the keel and winglets needed to be modified. Lexcen prepared a sketch of the way the keel would look, a sketch I released to journalists after the Cup competition was over.

Van Oossanen, left, and Australian designer Ben Lexcen watch as the inverted keel with the first crude winglets fitted to the base Australia model was readied for tank-testing at NSMB.

To determine the required twist along the span of the winglets, I arranged to segment them, allowing each of the five segments to rotate about an axis that passed through the quarter-chord location. A force transducer in each segment allowed us to measure the lift, drag, and pitching moment acting on that segment. After finding the angle-of-attack setting each of these segments required to minimize drag sailing downwind, it was relatively simple to determine the twist along the span. This twist was adhered to in the design of the smaller winglets and in all subsequent winglets.

The results in terms of the speed made good to windward, available the following day, were disappointing, as shown in  Table 2 . These results indicated that the inverted keel possessed an edge over the base keel, except at true wind speeds of around 6 and 7 knots. The improvement of between 0.04 knots and 0.09 knots in V MG  upward of some 7.5 knots of true wind was beginning to look promising. The velocity made good to windward for the case with winglets, however, was everywhere considerably less. When I showed these results to Lexcen, he too was disappointed—a letdown after seeing the high side-force values the keel with winglets was developing the previous day.

The project had by now considerably increased in scope and budget. I sent Jones a telex after he visited NSMB on May 16 and 17, and he agreed to increase the budget, allowing us to test Keel IV with and without winglets. When Lexcen and I discussed the state of our research on June 11, we decided that we needed to test the downsized keel with the more refined winglets as well. Jones again agreed to cover the cost. In his telex dated June 9, he informed me: “I am today arranging to forward … dollars, as this is the sum already granted by Australian government reserve bank controls. I am now applying for permission to remit the balance of the estimated sum, which should be cleared within 14 days. I agree that Lexcen must remain [at NSMB] until final configuration is agreed upon, thus leaving you to complete your formal report, which is required by Alan Bond by the earliest possible date. We are becoming concerned that our total program is already six weeks behind our original schedule.”

In this telex, Jones alluded to the importance of Lexcen’s attendance at NSMB for the duration of the project. I had informed him before that the naval architect was “sick of cheese” and wanted to return to Australia as soon as possible. It was the first time in all our discussions and correspondence that Jones and I hinted at the Dutch influence on the design of the yacht and its possible consequences. This was later to become an issue, leading the NYYC to consider abandoning the 1983  America ’s Cup. Lexcen didn’t heed Jones’s instruction and, after providing him with copies of our drawings, calculations, and test results, he left NSMB on June 17. According to telexes I have copies of between Jones and Lexcen, the latter flew to Australia on June 20. He did not return until much later that year, to discuss other matters.

We performed the tests with the smaller inverted keel and more refined winglets on July 2 and 3, with Slooff in attendance to witness some runs on the second day. As I expected, the results in terms of the speed made good to windward remained disappointing. As shown in  Table 3 , the base model with Keel I was still the best in true wind speeds of up to about 7.5 knots.

Knowing that wind speeds of less than 7.5 knots were common in the summer off Newport, Rhode Island, I felt justified in now pushing to have Lexcen and Jones embrace the 44 ‘  concept we had spoken about together several times before. The short telex I sent to Lexcen on July 1 was to the point: “Subject tests are to be carried out on Friday, July 3. Will telex results on Monday, July 6, 1981. The wetted surface of the hull with Keel V is still 5% higher than the hull with Keel I. We are drawing a new aft-body-rudder configuration for your consideration. Will send drawings early next week. We hope you have recovered from our climate, etc., and travel back to Sydney.”

The 44 ‘  Concept

Wednesday, July 1 through Friday, July 10 was the high point of the project for me. Upon considering the results obtained to date and knowing that the wetted surface area of the hull fitted with Keel V and Winglets II (the smaller inverted keel and more refined winglets) was still about 5% greater than that of the hull with Keel I, I believed that we needed to address design changes required to implement the 44 ‘  concept. I sat down with my draftsman and redesigned the aft 40% of the hull, reducing the displacement to correlate to the flotation waterline length (on the MWL plane) of 44 ‘ . It entailed a considerable modification to remove the pronounced bustle that all previous 12-Meters possessed since  Intrepid  and move the rudderstock forward by 0.3m (11.8 “ ). I increased the thickness of the winglets (to accommodate more lead ballast) and reduced the height of the keel to that required by the 12-Meter Rule when length is lessened. Furthermore, I took the liberty of changing the design of the rudder and trim tab as well. I sent Jones a long letter on July 2 explaining what we were doing. I called Lexcen on July 4 to update him on the test results and two days later in a long telex explained that what we were doing was necessary to improve light-air performance. In the letter to Jones, I addressed the cost and time issues. Knowing that I needed to explain my reasoning in detail, I decided to travel to Australia to discuss everything and answer questions.

When I visited Lexcen at his office at home in Seaforth on July 16, I showed him the results of the last set of tests, calling his attention to the upright drag tests (representing downwind conditions), which revealed the boat was slower than the base boat in light conditions. I showed him the speed-made-good plots and compared them to those of the earlier models. We also compared the values for the center of side force of all the models and the results of turning tests indicating that the model with the smaller keel and winglets required a turning force about 25% less than that of the base model for a rudder angle of 30°. We realized that pre-start maneuvers would greatly benefit from adopting the smaller keel.

I showed him the drawings we prepared for the 44 ‘  concept, and we discussed the proposed changes to the keel, winglets, trim tab, and rudder I had prepared drawings for. We focused on the resulting values of the prismatic coefficient because we knew that with decreasing length, we would incur additional wave drag at high speeds—such as on the reaching legs of the Olympic triangle used for the  America ’s Cup. Some two hours later, Lexcen agreed to all proposed changes subject to wanting to make a small modification to the waterlines immediately in front of the rudderstock.

Helmsman John Bertrand, left foreground, and head of the challenge syndicate, Alan Bond, right, are dockside on Australia II between races in Newport, September, 1983

He asked me to return on July 19 to pick up the table of offsets for the change to the waterlines and to answer any questions he might then have. I knew he would want to think further about what we talked about and that he might need to call Jones to discuss this radical development. On the 19th he asked me to implement everything I had proposed. He had prepared the table of offsets for me to send to NSMB the following day to allow model manufacture to get under way.

I returned to my office on Monday, July 27 and was surprised by a message from Jones about wanting to visit us with Alan Bond and helmsman-elect John Bertrand and that they would arrive within the hour. He said they were sailing the Admiral’s Cup and that today was a lay day. They had traveled to Wageningen by helicopter and wanted to see the latest model and talk about its performance.

I asked Slooff to attend and decided to chair the meeting, present them with an agenda, and run things very formally. Slooff and I explained in detail, step by step, the work we did. It soon became apparent that Bertrand was hesitant to build and campaign a yacht that was as radical as the proposed  Australia II . Bond and Jones were enthusiastic, however, and before they left to return to their waiting helicopter, Jones told me that they had decided to build two boats—the conventional hull with Keel III, and the design with the 44 ‘  hull and the final inverted keel with winglets. Both boats were to be built in Fremantle at Steve Ward’s boatyard. And both would be aluminum, as there was insufficient time left to work with  Lloyd’s Register  on the composites option. It was my turn to be elated. Jones thanked me by telex when he returned to Perth: “Peter, thank you for receiving Alan, John, and me. We were delighted with the trip, and they certainly left your premises enthusiastic about the approach which had been adopted.”

We performed tests with the final hull fitted with the final keel and winglets and the new trim tab and rudder on August 6 and 7. I called Lexcen about the results. I told him that we now had the performance needed to win the  America ’s Cup.

The Final Design

The speed made good to windward of the original  Australia , the  Australia  hull with the inverted keel reduced in size (Keel V) and modified winglets (Winglets II), and the 44 ‘  hull with modified keel (Keel V A ) and winglets (Winglets II A ) were as given in  Table  4.  They reveal the significant improvement in the speed made good to windward. The right-hand column in Table 4 presents the results for the final configuration with the 44 ‘  flotation waterline. We also performed so-called tuft tests to determine the nature of the flow on the keel and the hull in way of the keel.

Australia II’s winged keel was hidden from public view when the boat hung in slings between races, and its deceptive paint scheme disguised its shape while under way. The keel was revealed to curious crowds after the last race.

Knowing that these tests represented the final step in the design, Lexcen requested that I send a full set of hydrostatic and stability calculations and a full set of test results. A table of offsets for building the yacht, the required position of the mast, a lines plan on a 1:10 scale, a copy of all drawings prepared for the project, a complete set of all photographs taken, the location of the required lead ballast, and the resulting center of gravity—I sent most of this information to him on August 14 together with a cover letter in which I provided the information for rating the yacht. This included a table defining the rated length of the original  Australia  and the 44 ‘  yacht, the LWL value, the displacement in racing trim and when floating on the MWL waterline, the weight of crew and sails, the wetted surface area, the maximum draft, and the rated sail area.

I informed him of the necessity to move the rudderstock aft by 7cm (2.76 “ ) and the keel forward by 210mm (8.27 “ ). The hydrostatics of the new hull, keel, and winglets revealed that the yacht’s center of gravity needed to shift forward by 187mm (7.36 “ ) to accommodate the new location of the center of buoyancy, and that the resulting flotation waterline would then have a length of 14.03m (46.03 ‘  ) instead of the desired 14.1m (46.26 ‘  ). I reminded him of these changes when, at his request, I sent him tracings on Mylar of the lines of the hull, keel, and winglets on September 10.

Jones had requested an update on project costs. I sent those in a long letter dated August 13, enclosing an invoice for the remaining costs and the Table, which I also sent to Lexcen.

In late August I embarked on a much-needed holiday with my family and upon returning to NSMB was faced with extensive travel for other projects—Leningrad, Newcastle (England), Seattle, Washington, D.C., New York, Hamburg, Boston, London, Sydney, Hoboken, and Brussels—before I was able to start writing the final report.

Bertrand and Bond on the winner’s podium with the America’s Cup.

Lexcen visited me at NSMB in late October mainly on matters not related to the 12-Meter project, and we stopped by NLR to see Slooff. I visited Lexcen in Sydney when I was there for a week on November 14.

I finished my final report in December 1981. It included details of our tank-testing process and results.

A bout the Author:  Naval architect Peter van Oossanen was a principal scientist at the Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (MARIN) in 1969–1991. He wrote the definitive text on the resistance and propulsion of ships in 1988 and founded the Van Oossanen Group in 1992. Since retiring in 2013, he has written five books about the science of sailing.

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Saturday 9 September 2023 – Sunday 4 February 2024

Included with General Admission. Book your tickets to WA Maritime Museum below. 

Re-live Australia II 's historic victory of the 1983 America's Cup.

On 26 September 1983, the yacht Australia II made global history when the oldest sporting trophy in the world, the America’s Cup, was wrested from the Americans after 132 years.

Sail back in time to the 1980s; a time when the famous boxing kangaroo and big hair were all the rage! Discover the untold stories and memorable moments that lead to the incredible Cup victory, continuing in 1987 when Fremantle hosted the Cup defence, hoisting the port city onto the world stage. 

Get an intimate look at the grit and perseverance of the Australian crew led by John Bertrand, as they set new standards in elite sport with a revolutionary keel design shrouded in secrecy.

In Newport, Rhode Island at 5.21pm,  Australia II crossed the finish line, the committee boats cannon firing a puff of white smoke indicating this stunning victory. Celebrate this historic moment from 40 years ago and the feel the impact it has had on the nation with our incredible maritime sporting achievements. 

WA Maritime Museum is the official home of the Australia II  yacht with the Museum being purpose built to house this Western Australian icon. Forever immortalised, see the yacht displayed in the defining moment of the final race, having just passed the American boat Liberty on the last downwind leg.

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Australia II celebrations.

The team of Australia II to be inducted into the Australian Sailing Hall of Fame

One of Australia’s most iconic sporting moments, the victory of Australia II in the 1983 America’s Cup, will be honoured in the Australian Sailing Hall of Fame this week.  The team of Australia II , including the sailing team and the design and executive teams (full list below) will be inducted into the Australian Sailing Hall of Fame at the inaugural induction ceremony on Friday 3 November in Sydney. 

According to the Australian Sailing Hall of Fame Selection Panel, “the achievement of the Australia II team in winning the America’s Cup in 1983 was one of the most remarkable feats in Australian sporting history.”

Australia II captured the hearts of a nation when it won the America’s Cup in 1983, breaking Americas’ 132-year winning streak in sport’s oldest trophy. 

The America’s Cup fascinated the Australian sailing community for 20 years before it was finally won.  Up until 1962, Britain and Canada were the only two nations to challenge for the Cup. 

In 1962 an Australian syndicate from the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron challenged the Americans for the first time.  Led by Sir Frank Packer, the challenge by Gretel was unsuccessful, but the Australians became the first challengers to win an America’s Cup match race against the Americans since 1934. 

The Australians then challenged with Dame Pattie in 1967, Gretel II in 1970, Southern Cross in 1974, and Australia in 1977 and 1980.

Then, in 1983, Australia challenged with their best-prepared syndicate ever, Australia II.  Owned and built by a syndicate of Western Australians headed by businessman Alan Bond, the Australians were determined to bring home the ‘Auld Mug’.

The designer of Australia II , Ben Lexcen, had conceived a winged keel that had out-performed conventional keels in secret testing in the Netherlands. The yacht was built in Cottesloe, Western Australia by boatbuilder Steve Ward.

Lexcen’s winged keel was at the centre of huge controversy.  Upon arrival in Newport, Rhode Island, the keel was hidden from view with tarpaulin ‘modesty skirts’ that were draped over the side of the boat each day before it was lifted in or out of the water.  The design was protested by the Americans, but ultimately the ‘off-water’ psychological battle was won by the Aussies and they were given the all-clear to race. 

Skippered by John Bertrand, the crew of Australia II displayed a ‘never-say-die’ attitude when they came back from being 1-3 down in the best of seven race series.  The Aussies fought their way back to take the competition to the seventh and final race. 

The final race proved a real wrestle.  The American boat Liberty led from the start, until being overtaken on the last downwind leg by Australia II . During the final windward leg the team aboard Australia II tacked many times to defend their precious lead. At 5.21pm on September 26, Australia II crossed the line to win the America’s Cup, taking the Auld Mug in an historic 4-3 win.

’You captured the imagination of the people the world over,’ said American President Ronald Reagan, as he congratulated the Australia II crew on a visit to the White House two days after the race. “You have shown us the stuff of which Australians are made.”

The Australia II team which won the 1983 America’s Cup was responsible for one of the greatest, most memorable moments in Australia’s sporting history. 

The Team of Australia II

John Bertrand AO (skipper), Colin Beashel OAM Will Baillieu OAM Peter Costello OAM Damian Fewster OAM Ken Judge OAM Skip Lissiman OAM John Longley AM Brian Richardson OAM Phil Smidmore OAM Grant Simmer OAM Hugh Treharne OAM

Reserves Rob Brown OAM Sir James Hardy OBE Scott McAllister OAM

Syndicate Chairman Alan Bond

Syndicate Executive Director Warren Jones AM

Designer Ben Lexcen AM

Coach Mike Fletcher AM

Australia II is currently on display in Fremantle at the Western Australian Maritime Museum.  A ‘one-third’ model of the boat is also on display at the Australian Maritime Museum in Sydney.  Further information on the boat is available at http://arhv.anmm.gov.au/objects/132580

Seven Hall of Famers will be inducted into the Australian Sailing Hall of Fame this Friday, 3 November 2017 at the Hyatt Regency, Sydney.  

– Megan McKay

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