Being with Benny: Inside the World of Ben Lexcen

Being with Benny is the story of how Bob Miller from a shattered childhood in rural Australia and only four years of schooling became one of the worlds leading yacht designers. His creation Australia II won the Americas Cup in 1983 ending the New York Yacht Clubs 132-year hold on the worlds oldest sporting trophy.Miller who changed his name to Ben Lexcen before designing Australia II also designed three-handed lightweight 18-footers that changed the whole course of skiff design the Contender dinghy and successful ocean racers such as Mercedes III Apollo Ginkgo Ballyhoo and Sydney-Hobart race winner Ceil III. He was also a champion sailor and represented Australia in the Olympic Games.Being with Benny not only tells his story some of it in his own words but how he influenced the lives of the people around him many of whom have helped re-sail the adventurous course of his life in this book.