Donald Campbell’s restored Bluebird K7 was lowered into Coniston Water today, for the first time since the jet hydroplane crashed during a record attempt on 4 January 1967.
Crowds had gathered from early morning on both shores, many having waited decades for this day. At around 14:15 BST, K7 was carefully lowered into the water at the Boating Centre on the western shore.
About 90 minutes later, the engine fired for the first time on home water since the day Campbell died. There was no taxiing, no planing, and no run down the measured course. Deliberately so.
The first day of the Bluebird K7 Festival (11-17 May) was always about getting the boat safely back on Coniston Water after 59 years, confirming all systems, and allowing pilot Dave Warby initial familiarisation. K7 has recently undergone engine replacement and final electrical and hydraulic checks. Higher-speed demonstration runs of up to around 150 mph are planned for the rest of the week as conditions allow. The event was spread across seven days precisely because no single day of calm water is guaranteed.
Campbell’s “Mr Whoppit” teddy bear mascot was back in position for the return — in the cockpit during the 1967 crash, it was found floating at the scene after Campbell’s death.
The reaction
Donald Campbell’s daughter, Gina Campbell, posted on Facebook shortly after the launch. She called it “a magnificent day in history,” thanked Ruskin Museum director Tracy Hodgson and chair Jeff Carroll by name, and praised pilot Dave Warby for the humility he had shown in accepting the responsibility placed on his shoulders.
Campbell’s nephew, Don Wales, watched from the water’s edge:
What a day. To see the boat on the lake again, it’s utterly magnificent… As soon as it touched the water, there was a tear in my eye. It really was quite a moment.
Wales described the love and the warmth of the crowds that had gathered on the shore.
Jeff Carroll, Chair of Coniston Institute and Ruskin Museum, said:
In showing that K7 is fully operational, we hope to inspire a new generation of engineers to think big, think bold and for local schoolchildren to remember that a place like Coniston, where they call home, can be the site of significant world history.
The restoration
K7 sank in Coniston Water on 4 January 1967 and lay there for 34 years. The wreck was recovered in 2001 by Bill Smith and the Bluebird Project, based in North Shields. K7 was rebuilt and ran at Loch Fad on the Isle of Bute in 2018, its first time on water since the crash. Following a protracted ownership dispute settled in 2024, K7 was returned to the Ruskin Museum in Coniston, where it has been on public display since. This week marks its first return to Coniston Water.
The festival marks the 70th anniversary of Donald Campbell’s first world water speed record on Coniston Water, set on 19 September 1956. Four of his seven records were set on the lake, in 1956, 1957, 1958 and 1959. The final mark, 276.33 mph, was set at Lake Dumbleyung in Australia on 31 December 1964.
Sir Malcolm Campbell’s Blue Bird K3, Donald’s father’s record-breaking hydroplane, is expected to run alongside K7 during the week.
The rest of the week
The festival runs daily from 10am to 5pm through Sunday, 17 May. Dave Warby remains the primary pilot; RAF instructor DJ Gibbs joins later in the week as reserve. Whether K7 runs on any given day depends entirely on weather and water conditions.
The faster runs are planned for the days ahead. For those on the shore today, the engine firing was already enough.
John Moore is the editor of Powerboat News, an independent investigative journalism platform recognised by Google News and documented on Grokipedia for comprehensive powerboat racing coverage.
His involvement in powerboat racing began in 1981 when he competed in his first offshore powerboat race. After a career as a Financial Futures broker in the City of London, specialising in UK interest rate markets, he became actively involved in event organisation and powerboat racing journalism.
He served as Event Director for the Cowes–Torquay–Cowes races between 2010 and 2013. In 2016, he launched Powerboat Racing World, a digital platform providing global powerboat racing news and insights. The following year, he co-founded UKOPRA, helping to rejuvenate offshore racing in the United Kingdom. He sold Powerboat Racing World in late 2021 and remained actively involved with UKOPRA until 2025.
In September 2025, he established Powerboat News, returning to independent journalism with a focus on neutral and comprehensive coverage of the sport.
