AUSTRALIA II HISTORY

1983
Sail number: KA 6
Australia.
Royal Perth Yacht Club
Challenger, winner of the 25th America's Cup 1983 (won the 7th and final race, sailed on September 26, 1983)

Original owner: America's Cup Challenge 1983, Alan Bond (Royal Perth Yacht Club).

12 Meter International Rule, sloop

Builder: Steve E. Ward & Co., Perth, Cottesloe, Australia.
Sailmaker: Tom "Schnacks" Schnackenberg, sail coordinator. North, Hood, Sobstad Australia.

Designer: Ben Lexcen.
Research facilities & tank tests: Netherlands Ship Model Basin - NSMB - at Wageningen, the Netherlands. Peter Van Oossanen. Models built on 1/3rd scale, 24-foot models, instead of 8-foot models used for Australia I (1977) at the Delft Tank Model Basin, Netherlands, by Johan Valentijn and Ben Lexcen.
Hydrodynamics: Joop W. Sloff from Theorythical Aerodynamic Department of the National Aerospace Laboratory, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Built: started in 1981, finished in 1982 after 8 month build programme.
Launched: June 3rd, 1982.
Christened: June 6th, 1982 by Eileen Bond at Fremantle, Sailing Club in Success Harbour.
Original Skipper: John Edwin Bertrand
Tactician: Hugh Treharne
Navigator: Grant Simmer
Crew: 11.

Data:
Hull material: aluminum
Mast: aluminum, fabricated by Steve Ward from Ben Lexcen's designs.
Boom: carbon fiber, weighing 32 kilos (2 built)
Sails: kevlar/mylar laminated
Keel: lead, designed by Ben Lexcen. Mould built in Sydney. Keel cast at Perth in one piece. Lexcen applied for patents for his keel on February 5th, 1982 at the International Patents Office in The Hague. He had previously tried wings on dinghies and 5.5 Meter.

Dimensions:
LOA: 19.21 m
LWL: 13.10 m
Beam: 3.64 m
Draft: 2.72 m
Sail Area: 175 m2
Displacement: 21.8 tons
Rating: 12-Meter

1987
Owned by The America's Cup Defense 1987 Ltd., "Bond Syndicate" of the Royal Perth YC.

1987
On display at the National Maritime Museum, Sydney, Australia, then on display at the Western Australian Maritime Museum, Fremantle, Western Australia.

2001
The America's Cup Jubilee at Cowes, Isle of Wight, the regatta sailed to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the America's Cup in August 2001 was scheduled to be the final regatta for Australia II. Came second (twelve meter fleet) in the historic "Round the Island" 2001 race. Australia II was given the honour of being named the yacht that had brought the greatest benefit to the sport of yachting by participating in the America's Cup Jubilee Regatta.

Since 2001 till now
Australia II is the centerpiece of the new Western Australian Maritime Museum, in her home port of Fremantle.