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Ben Lexcen –
(Designer / Radio Sailor).
Most people remember Ben Lexcen as
the man who designed the boat that won the America’s Cup in Rhode Island
in 1983. That was 25 years ago, how times fly when your having FUN?
This year it is the 25th
Anniversary of that event. To say it was earth shattering would have
been an understatement, for much has been written about the boat, the
keel and the man himself. People to this day remember where they were
when Australia 11 won this exciting match race between (Red Dog)
Liberty and the Australian boat. I was going to work in the train. All
my mates were doing different things when I asked them where they were
when Australia won the cup, the other day down at the pond. Can you
remember where you were on that great day?
The Australian prime minister said
that famous morning “That if any boss sacked anyone for missing work to
day (after being up all night) was a Bum”. For the whole country was
proud of that winning event.
What is not known by most people was
the fact that Ben Lexcen was a long time radio sailor even before his
boat won the America’s cup. I first met him some years around 1979 at
Narrabeen lakes one Saturday afternoon with his two friends Carl Ryves
and Roy Ditmarsch all sailing 10raters of Ben’s design. (I will remember
this day till I die), for Benny was in a tizz.(and he was legendary for
his tizz’s) You see his boat was not answering the helm this day and as
Ben asked “how can this be, for I only just put new radio gear into it
this morning” (this is the censored version)? Well, when we got the boat
back to the shore we found that the receiver was “swimming “ in H20 and
the boat was half filled with water. But it did not go like this in the
future radio sailing days he went to.
Model yachts had been his life right
from his early childhood in Newcastle where grew up. He kept making
model yachts all though his designing years and into the eras of his
America’s cup endeavours. He said it was a quick way to try out ideas he
was thinking about for his 12 metres designs. Lexcen was the only
fulltime 12 metre designer in the world around 1983.
I remember a boat in particular that
he designed for R/C; a ten rater called “Sapphire” which he designed and
built in 1979 circa. This particular boat had some startling innovation
in themselves in the same type of bow that Australia 11 had and an
unusual rudder in the shape of a boomerang or a curve in it. Now, I can
tell you it did look pretty unusual for those days but it really did
work extremely good in turning the boat in all weather conditions. All
the designs that I saw of Benny Lexcen’s had “bits and pieces” of his
famous 12 metre designs in them.
There was another boat an A class
design called “EZRA”, very light displacement about 29 lbs, designed
1983 with almost the same original keel as Australia 11 but it had some
small changes that made it slightly different in appearance..
He designed another boat in 1984, a
10 rater it was called “Candida” and it was based on the same computer
program for Australia 11 and on the boat’s length water lines and
displacement. Carl Ryves asked Ben to do “Candida” and gave the starting
point for the design based on these precepts. There were quite a few
boats made off this popular “IF” design as it was known.
I consider myself very lucky to have
known and sailed with him and I can tell you all it was a magic
experience to go Radio sailing with him and his mates. Long may he be
remembered?
I would like to see the Australian
Nautic 12 Association put a really nice trophy up to remember this fine
radio sailor BEN LEXCEN to be raced for at our nationals to commemorate
his life and the services he rendered our country. So would you all join
with me in remembering a fine sailor?
The memory is not forgotten totally
for Northern Mariners in Sydney have a yearly regatta in Ben’s name in
September each year call the Ben Lexcen Trophy with the 10 raters, Ben’s
favourite class. Ben lived pretty close to Hinkler park when he was
alive and would be proud to have a regatta named after him.
Stephen Crewes. 2008
Photo 1* America’s Cup stickers
from 1983.
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Photo 2* Ben Lexcen.
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Photo 3* A NAUTIC 12 metre
boat with a wing keel.
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Anyone interested in Old
Marbleheads can contact me Stephen Crewes. 2007
shcrewes@bigpond.net.au |
