Water Speed Record - 1967

1967

Donald Campbell arrived back at Coniston Water, scene of previous triumphs, in November 1966. Bluebird K7 had been re-engined with a Bristol Siddeley Orpheus jet rated at 4500 lbf (20 kN) thrust. His stated aim was to bump the record out of reach of the Americans, and push it beyond 300 mph (480 km/h). The new attempt suffered many setbacks, both mechanical and weather-related, and by the end of 1966, Campbell's existing 276 mph (444 km/h) record was still not broken. By the morning of 4 January 1967 mechanical problems with Bluebird had been solved and as the day dawned still, conditions seemed perfect.

Bluebird K7 was over a decade old, and an American called Lee Taylor was threatening the record with a new boat, Hustler. The patriotic Campbell desperately wanted a Briton to be the first to break 480 km/h (300 mph). His first run across the lake gave the appearance of being untroubled and was fast. K7 averaged 475.2 km/h (297.6 mph). A new record seemed in sight. Campbell applied K7's water brake to slow the craft down from her peak speed of 315 mph (507 km/h) as well clear of the measured kilometre and at a speed of approx. 220 mph. The wake caused by the water brake was very large from travelling at such high speeds, so Campbell had a choice to refuel and wait, before starting the mandatory return leg, for the lake to settle again or return quickly knowing that although the area where the water brake had been applied would be rough, the area immediately south of the measured kilo as well as the measured kilo itself would be undisturbed. Campbell immediately turned around at the end of the lake and began his return run. Bluebird came back on her return even faster. At around 512 km/h (320 mph), just as she entered the measured kilometre, Bluebird began to lose stability due to her unprecedented speed, far in excess of anything that had been achieved previously in her long career. Finally, 400 m before the end of the kilometre, Bluebird's nose lifted beyond its critical pitch angle and she started to rise out of the water at a 45 degree angle. The boat took off, somersaulted and then plunged nose-first into the lake, breaking up as she cartwheeled across the surface. Campbell was killed instantly. Prolonged searches over the next two weeks located the wreck, but it was not until May 2001 that Campbell's body was finally located and recovered. Campbell was laid to rest in the churchyard at Coniston on 12 September 2001.

Lee Taylor, a Californian boat racer, had first tried for the record in April 1964. His boat Hustler was similar in design to Bluebird K7, being a jet hydroplane. During a test run on Lake Havasu, Taylor was unable to shut down the jet and crashed into the lakeside at over 100 mph (200 km/h). Hustler was wrecked and Taylor was severely injured. He spent the following years recuperating, and rebuilding his boat. On 30 June 1967, on Lake Guntersville, Taylor and Hustler tried for the record, but the wake of some spectators' boats disturbed the water, forcing Taylor to slow down his second run, and he came up 3.2 km/h (2 mph) short. He tried again later the same day and succeeded in setting a new record of 459 km/h (286.875 mph).