Kookaburra III is a very noteworthy and historic sailing yacht that has had a detailed refit to an incredible standard.
She presents like a new 12 Metre, with a lot of attention paid to restore the equipment onboard rather than replacing.
She was the 12 Metre selected to defend the America’s Cup for Australia in 1987. She was the third yacht built by Kookaburra Challenge (Task Force 87), constructed by the team in Perth, Western Australia in 1986.
She won the final defender series comfortably, but unfortunately was defeated by Stars and Stripes in the Final of the America’s Cup in 1987. A year later the team attended and won the 1988 12 Metre World Championship in Lulea, Sweden.
Boat Specs
Boat Inventory
- Reference Number
- Kookaburra III
- Model
- International 12m
- Length
- 67
- Price
- $ 625,000 USD
- Region
- Montefalcone, Italy
- Vessel Name
- Kookaburra III
- Launch Year
- 1986
- Beam
- 3.73 m
- Draft
- 2.69 m
- Displacement
- 28.200 kg
- Keel / balast
- Large lead keel with wings and trim tab. Stainless steel keel bolts fix keel to hull. The trimtab is fitted to the back of the keel operated by a series of custom gearboxes driven by a shaft to a rotary 90 degree gearbox linked to the inner steering wheel by chain and sprocket. All equipment is original and has been fully restored.
- Designer
- Iain Murray and John Swarbrick
- Builder
- Parry Boat builders- Task Force 87
- Deck
- The deck gear was all completely removed during the refit and re-used if possible or
replaced with modern Harken or Lewmar equipment including all genoa, vang and traveller tracks
which are Harken as well as replacement blocks where required.
The winch package was totally re-built and is original apart from the Harken running backstay winches.
Details below:
- 2 x Lewmar 90 skirt top primaries with speed ring bases (4 speed)
- 1 x Lewmar 90 Self tailing mainsheet winch (3 speed)
- 2 x Lewmar 46 Self tailing traveller winches
- 3 x Lewmar 54 Self tailing pit winches
- 1 x Lewmar 50 Self tailing fore guy winch
- 2 x Harken 980.3 3-speed Self tailing runner winches
Primaries and mainsheet winches include Lewmar custom pedestals and underdeck drive train and
over drive gear boxes. All is original and has been refurnished.
Equipment includes:
- Double “coffee grinders” for primaries including High/ low gearing controlled via foot buttons
(effectively making the primary winches 8 speed)
- Single pedestal for mainsheet winch with High/ low gear controlled via toggle switch in cockpit
floor (effectively making the mainsheet winch 6 speed)
Other notable deck equipment that has been restored includes:
- Custom Genoa sheet 180 degree turning blocks
- Underdeck spinnaker sheet system with foot-pedal jammers
- Custom composite foredeck hatches
- Alloy tow rails on foredeck
- Running backstay sheave boxes and sheaves rebated into the deck
- Original forestay sheave box in bow for hydraulically adjustable forestay
- Electrics
- Kookaburra III has a very simple electrical system mainly for the instruments and
electronics. System includes?
- 2x 12V Rolls Engineering S12-95 AGM house batteries
- Mastervolt 12V/25Amp battery charger for when non shore power
- 8 x Breaker switch board with voltage meter
- Marco Marine 28L/ min Electric Bilge Pump with float switch and high-water alarm
- Electric flush Jabsco marine toilet
- Watertight USB sockets
- 2 x 220V GPO when on shore power
- Navigation
- Kookaburra is fitted with a B&G WTP Processor for processing of all input data at a much
higher speed than a regualr processor, hence very good instrument data. The date gathered via the
following in inputs:
- 2 x paddle wheels for boat speed (port and starboard)
- Depth and temperature sensor
- MH unit fitted to top of mast
- WTP rate gyro compass
- Halcyon compass
- Clinometer
- Load cell pin for forestay load
- String pot sensor for trim tab position
- Furuno GP-37 GPS
The data is displayed via:
- 2 x H3000 GFD’s mounted on deck
- 2 x 20/20’s mounted in mainsheet island
- 5 x 20/20’s on the mast
- Any tablet or computer connected to wifi onboad
Additional items include Linksys Wireless Broadband router, tablet/ laptop connectivity, 2 x HH VHF
chargers, tablet battery charger
- Sail Inventory
- TBC
- Mast Rigging
- Kookaburra III is fitted with her original fractional, 2 spreader (with jumpers) alloy rig which has been completely re-fitted and painted. All new standing and running rigging fitted. The mast is adjustable fore and aft at the deck to ultimately control the sail plan in various conditions. As such, the mast has sliders fitted at deck level to alloy it to move in the collar. New Stainless steel tie rods have been fitted to link the standing rigging to the actual chain plates which are underdeck. All underdeck rigging systems have been updated including through deck sheave boxes, tackle blocks and all lines.
Disclaimer: Whilst every endeavour is made to ensure the accuracy of information provided, details are intended as a general guide to the vessel and its contents. Details are supplied by sellers and the accuracy of those details cannot be guaranteed by Vicsail.
