Ajax

Name of Boat	Ajax
Sail Number	C100
Location of Boat	Perth, Western Australia
Owner's Name	Mike Ahern

History
Built Year	1984
Builder	Will Baillieu
Designer	Will Baillieu & Ken Lacco
History	AJAX was originally a Ken Lacco design from late-1983. Several versions were drawn until Will Baillieu drew the 5th version (with a shallower forefoot and straighter deadrise forard). Will Baillieu built her in 1984 out of Huon Pine and Celery Pine ribs, Grey Box backbone, grown Ti Tree knees, deck out of Celery Pine on Oregon deck beams. She was designed at 26'10", but a simple mistake in setting out stations along the keel for the moulds added 3.5". She finished at 27'1½". She has 19 planks per side, where most have 17. This made a very fair hull. There is not a couta boat with a longer centre plate. The case is 9' long and is built of Merbau to the water line and Celery Top Pine above. She raced with a hollow gaff, built from 2 pieces which had a unique rotating tub at the mast. Ajax is a return to the old style "wedgy" shapes. She has a 7" spring in the keel and has straight lines between the waterline and the keel (deadrise) for more than half her length. Because of the straight lines, full length Oregon stringers were fitted to add stiffness. Because of the wedge shape, planks required a lot of twist and were steamed before fitting until above the water line. She is a well balanced boat with minimal helm in any conditions. AJAX was built alongside KATE which Tim Phillips was building for Bill Davis and was named after Will Baillieu's great uncle E L Bailllieu's race horse.
Race Record	For almost her entire career before leaving for Perth in 1997, AJAX was the handicap back marker. She won many recaes and was always in contention for loine honours.
Comments	AJAX is a big couta boat with plenty of beam, in a nice full-sized boat. She is reasonably soft in her bilges, and the shallower forefoot means she turns quite easily. The plate case is huge, and the long plate and wedgy shape allow her to climb to windward very efficiently. AJAX travelled by road to Sydney in 1988 for the Bicentenary Celebrations, and remained on Sydney Harbour for 3 months. In 1990, she travelled to Bingil Bay in Far North Queensland, where she spent most of the year. She cruised as far south as Hinchinbrook Island, laying anchor at such spectacular locatioins as Bedarra Island, and over the coral reefs of the Brooke Isles. A heavy mooring was put in place at Clump Point (Mission Beach) using the Dunk Island barge - on its last day in service - to transport the ground gear (a huge lump of concrete) into deep water. She sailed north to Cairns in the threat of Cyclone Joy in December 1990, before sheltering in the Trinity Inlet and then returning to Sorrento at the end of January 1991. She may be the only couta boat that has had Spanish mackerel and Coral trout across her decks! For races after her return, she always fllew the "Danger/Crocodile" warning sign as a battle flag.

Boat Details
Ballast	Ballast Weight	2.25 tonne
	Ballast Material	Lead ingots
Engine	Engine HP	13
	Engine Make	Yanmar 2GM