|
Donald Campbell drove
his boat Bluebird to speeds of 276.33mph
(444.71km/h) |
1995: 'Divorce': Queen to Charles and
Diana |
Artificially 1969:
The Donald
Campbell has broken the world water speed record, becoming the first man
to break the world land and water speed records in the same year.
He reached an average speed of 276.33mph (444.71km/h) in his speedboat,
Bluebird, this afternoon on Lake Dumbleyung in Perth, Western Australia.
The feat shatters his previous world record of 260.35mph (418.99km/h)
at Lake Coniston, Cumbria, in 1959.
Mr Campbell has been trying to realise his record-breaking attempt for
months at various locations in Australia.
Each time he has been frustrated. The weather at his first choice of
location, Lake Bonney in South Australia, proved too unpredictable.
Then, he moved to Lake Dumbleyung, near Perth, on 16 December, only to
be delayed by wild ducks which could not fly away because they were
moulting .
The weather was the next setback, as persistent easterly winds raised
waves up to 2ft (61cm) high, making any attempt impossible.
With time running out for him to achieve his goal of breaking both
speed records in the same year, he began considering a move to a third
lake just south of Perth.
'Let's go, skipper!'
Then suddenly, on the last possible day, the winds eased and the lake
became flat calm.
Conditions were rated 95% suitable, and the chief mechanic, Leo Villa,
radioed to Mr Campbell, "I think it's worth a try - let's go, skipper!"
Several hundred people gathered on the shores of the lake to watch,
among them Mr Campbell's wife, Tonia Bern.
When she heard that he had done it, she dived into the lake and swam
out to embrace him as he brought Bluebird in.
As he stepped ashore, Mr Campbell told his supporters, "It's amazing
that we clinched it. I never thought we had the chance of a snowball on
the desert of cracking it today."
Mr Campbell broke the land speed record in July on Lake Eyre salt flat
in central Australia, with a speed of 403.1mph (648.72km/h).
However, the record was short-lived: on 27 October an American, Art
Arfon, drove his jet car across Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah at an
average speed of 536.71mph (863.75km/h).