Page 197 - Demo

195It was one of Australia%u2019s proudest sporting triumphs when Alan Bond%u2019s%u00a0Australia II%u00a0won the America%u2019s Cup in 1983. Then prime minister Bob Hawke, in his infamous Australia jacket, captured the mood of the nation when he declared, %u2018Any boss who sacks anyone for not turning up to work today is a bum!%u2019The John Bertrand%u2013skippered crew had beaten the Yanks at their own race! For a nation that had been battered by a recession, drought and bushfires, it was the shot in the arm we%u00a0needed. Central to this much-needed boost to national pride was the winged keel, designed by Ben%u00a0Lexcen, the innovation that gave us an edge over the Americans at Newport, Rhode Island. Lexcen, a yachtsman and naval architect, had been designing boats for Bond for quite some time, but with%u00a0 Australia II, he hit paydirt. The yacht boasted a 12-metre design with an extraordinary keel with an inverted wing shape that paid dividends by reducing drag and improving mass distribution.Ben Lexcen%u2019s winged keel was radical because it introduced horizontal fins at the base of the%u00a0keel, unlike traditional keels, which were straight and vertical. These %u2018wings%u2019 redirected water flow to reduce drag and improve lift, which increased the yacht%u2019s speed and agility. The design also lowered the boat%u2019s centre of gravity, making it more stable and allowing it to sail closer to the wind.Before the race series, the Australian team went to great lengths to hide the radical new design from the Americans, keeping it covered at%u00a0all times. But that didn%u2019t stop the Americans from taking legal action against the challengers, arguing unsuccessfully that the keel broke the%u00a0rules.Down 3%u20131 in the final series, the Aussies rallied to win the America%u2019s Cup 4%u20133 in a thrilling final race, ending a 132-year run of American domination. The crew, Bond and Lexcen became instant heroes, and the winged keel became a potent symbol of Australian innovation, helping shape the 1980s fascination with Australia taking on the world.Lexcen, who even had a rebadged Holden Commodore named after him %u2013 the Toyota Lexcen %u2013 died a national hero in 1988.YEAR 1982DESIGNER Ben Lexcen%u0001fflfl%u009f%u000c%u0004flff%u000ffl%u001a%u0019%u0018fl%u0007%u0017%u0019ff%u0011%u0013fl%u000f%u000e%u0019%u000ffl%u0096%u0008%u000f%u0007%u000eflffl%u0019%u0016%u0019%u0017fl%u0019%u0012%u0007%u000eff%u000f%u0013%u0007%u000ffl%u009e%u0013%u000f%u0013%u0012fl%u0016%u0019fflfl%u0098ffi%u0018%u0018%u0019ffl%u0013fflfl%u0019fflfl%u0019%u0013%u0012ffi%u0010ffl%u0019%u0011ff%u0007ff%u0018%u000ffl%u0088ffiffifl%u0082%u0017ffiffi%u0006%u0004fl%u001a%u000effifl%u001a%u0013%u0012%u0013fl%u0019%u0012%u000fflffi%u0006fl%u000f%u000e%u0013fl%u0013%u0018ff%u0015fflfl%u000f%u0013%u0019%u0011%u0004fl%u001a%u0013%u0012%u0013fl%u0012%u0013%u0018ffiffl%u0018ff%u0009%u0017%u0013fl%u0006ffi%u0012fl%u000f%u000e%u0013fl%u0011%u0019%u0085ffi%u0012ff%u000f%u0010flffi%u0006fl%u000f%u000e%u0013fl%u001affi%u0012%u00a0flffifflfl%u000f%u000e%u0013fl%u00a0%u0013%u0013%u0017fl%u0094fl%u0019fl%u0007%u0017%u0019ff%u0011fl%u0012%u0013%u0006%u0008%u000f%u0013fl%u0009%u0010fl%u000f%u000e%u0013 %u0009%u0015%u0010ff%u0012%u0019%u001a%u0012%u0017%u000c%u000c %u000f%u0013%u0019%u0011%u008dBen Lexcen%u2019s winged keel was radical because it introduced horizontal fins at the base of the keel.