''Southern Cross'' is a

12-metre class The 12 Metre class is a rating class for racing sailboats that are designed to the International rule. It enables fair competition between boats that rate in the class whilst retaining the freedom to experiment with the details of their designs. ...

racing yacht, constructed in Terry Hills by Halvorsen Morson and Gowland of Mona Vale. Perth entrepreneur

Alan Bond Alan Bond (22 April 1938 – 5 June 2015) was an English-born Australian businessman noted for his high-profile and often corrupt business dealings. These included his central role in the WA Inc scandals of the 1980s, and what was at the time ...

funded the project and was designed by Australian designer

Ben Lexcen Benjamin Lexcen AM (born Robert Clyde Miller, 19 March 1936 – 1 May 1988) was an Australian yachtsman and marine architect. He is famous for the winged keel design applied to ''Australia II'' which, in 1983, became the first non-American yac ...

. ''Southern Cross'' is 68 feet long, weighs 32 tonnes and has a mast that is 97 feet high. It was the first Aluminium yacht to compete in the

America's Cup The America's Cup, informally known as the Auld Mug, is a trophy awarded in the sport of sailing. It is the oldest international competition still operating in any sport. America's Cup match races are held between two sailing yachts: one f ...

Career

America's Cup

Although unsuccessful in beating the Americans in the 1974 America's Cup,'' Southern Cross'' did beat the competing nations to win the right to challenge for the cup.

Today

''Southern Cross'' provides chartered overnight sailing trips in the

Whitsundays The Whitsunday Islands are 74 continental islands of various sizes off the central coast of Queensland, Australia, north of Brisbane. The northernmost of the islands are off the coast by the town of Bowen, while the southernmost islands are ...

. The conversion of ''Southern Cross'' to a charter yacht took two years and included construction of a toilet and shower, beds, kitchen/galley and dining area. The deck was modified to include two cockpits and a motor was fitted. Ships of Australia America's Cup challengers 1970s sailing yachts Sailing yachts designed by Ben Lexcen Louis Vuitton Cup yachts 1974 America's Cup {{Ship-stub