Australia 12 KA 5

Design and Construction

Australia (KA-5) was designed in 1976 by Australian naval architect Ben Lexcen in association with Dutch designer Johan Valentijn for Alan Bond’s America’s Cup syndicate. The design process took place over seven months, during which Lexcen and Valentijn conducted extensive model testing at the University of Delft’s hydrodynamic tank in the Netherlands.

Built by Steve Ward in Perth, Western Australia, Australia was launched in February 1977. She was a conventional but refined 12 Metre yacht, often described as a “Courageous-style” design. Her hull featured v-shaped mid-sections, low freeboard, a large bustle, and a wide U-shaped transom, giving her a powerful but balanced underwater form. The fore overhang was narrow and rounded, the cockpit was shallow, and the thin keel carried its ballast exceptionally low. Australia’s mast was an elliptical extruded-aluminium section.

To reduce weight, Lexcen and Valentijn accepted a small penalty on overall length, producing a hull approximately 1,500 kg lighter than the American defender Courageous (US-26). The design’s philosophy aimed to trade a slight loss of waterline length for reduced displacement and lower drag in lighter air.

1977 America’s Cup Challenge

After her launch, Australia conducted sea trials against Alan Bond’s earlier challenger Southern Cross (KA-4) off Yanchep, Western Australia. The older boat served as her tuning partner before the team shipped both yachts to Newport, Rhode Island.

During the 1977 challenger trials, Australia competed against Gretel II (KA-3), Sverige (S-3), and France (F-1). Australia won the elimination series convincingly, defeating the Swedish challenger Sverige four races to nil, earning the right to face the US defender Courageous (US-26).

In the America’s Cup match, Australia struggled. The team suffered from a poor-quality mast—originally from Southern Cross—and sails that were flat, heavy, and unresponsive. Despite late efforts by Lexcen to improve the setup, Courageous dominated, winning the Cup match 4–0.

1980 America’s Cup Challenge

Following the defeat, Alan Bond initially considered commissioning a new yacht, but Lexcen believed that with modifications, Australia’s hull still had untapped potential. The team sharpened the keel, enlarged and lowered the bustle to improve steering, and re-rigged the boat with a new mast and sail plan.

During the 1980 challenger series, Australia faced France III (F-3), Sverige, and the British yacht Lionheart (K-18). Lionheart introduced a “bendy” mast that curved aft at the top, effectively increasing mainsail area by about ten percent in light air. Seeing the improvement, the Australian team adopted the concept midway through the series.

With the new rig, Australia became significantly more competitive. She ultimately earned the right to challenge the US defender Freedom (US-30) and won one race before losing the series 4–1. The “bendy” rig proved effective in light conditions but offered little advantage in stronger winds, and Freedom’s superior consistency prevailed.

After the Cup

After the 1980 challenge, Australia was sold to the British Victory Syndicate headed by Peter de Savary and renamed Temeraire. She was used as a trial-horse for Victory 82 (K-21) and Victory 83 (K-22) in preparation for the 1983 America’s Cup—ultimately won by Bond’s next campaign boat, Australia II (KA-6).

In 1985, Australia returned home when she was purchased by Syd Fischer to serve as the trial boat for his “East Australia America’s Cup Defence” syndicate alongside Steak ’n’ Kidney (KA-14). Both yachts were later refitted for private and charter use.

In 2011, Australia was acquired by the Australia 12 Metre Historic Trust, which undertook a full restoration. Following the refit, she was placed in charter service and remains operational today.

As of April 2025, Australia (KA-5) is moored in Lavender Bay, Sydney, opposite McMahons Point ferry wharf.

Significance

Australia (KA-5) holds a pivotal place in the lineage of Australian 12 Metres. Though unsuccessful in her two America’s Cup challenges, she represented a crucial step between the earlier Southern Cross (KA-4) and the revolutionary Australia II (KA-6) that would go on to win the Cup in 1983.

Her story reflects the persistence, experimentation, and design evolution that defined Alan Bond’s campaigns—and Ben Lexcen’s journey from solid but conventional designs to true innovation. Today, Australia (KA-5) remains a beautifully maintained example of late-1970s 12 Metre design and a living link to Australia’s formative years in the America’s Cup.