The outright world water speed record is the officially recognised fastest speed achieved by any water-borne vehicle, regardless of propulsion method. It is ratified by the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM). The current record has stood since 8 October 1978, when Ken Warby piloted Spirit of Australia to 317.59 mph at Blowering Dam in New South Wales, Australia.
- Current record: 317.59 mph (511.11 km/h)
- Holder: Ken Warby, Spirit of Australia
- Date: 8 October 1978
- Location: Blowering Dam, New South Wales, Australia
- Propulsion: Jet-powered (Westinghouse J34 turbojet)
- Record keeper: Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM)
The Current Record
Ken Warby built Spirit of Australia in his backyard in Sydney and remains the only person in history to exceed 300 mph on water and survive. His record of 317.59 mph has stood for more than 46 years, making it one of the longest-standing speed records in any sport. No attempt has successfully beaten it; several efforts in the decades since have ended fatally.
Warby first set the record on 20 November 1977 at 288.60 mph, then improved it to 317.59 mph on 8 October 1978 at the same venue. Both runs were ratified by the UIM as the outright world water speed record.
The Complete Record Progression
The water speed record predates official UIM ratification by decades. From the first recognised steam-powered runs in the 1880s through to Ken Warby’s jet hydroplane in 1978, the record passed through three distinct technological eras: steam and early gasoline propeller craft, high-powered piston-engine hydroplanes, and finally jet-powered hydroplanes from 1955 onward.
Early Records (1885-1927)
| Year | Vessel | Driver | Location | Speed | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1885 | Stiletto | Nathanael Herreshoff | – | 26.2 mph | Steam/propeller |
| 1893 | Feiseen | William B. Cogswell | – | 31.6 mph | Steam/propeller |
| 1897 | Turbinia | Charles Algernon Parsons | – | 39.1 mph | Steam/propeller |
| 1903 | Arrow | Charles R. Flint | – | 45.06 mph | Steam/propeller |
| 1911 | Maple Leaf III | Sir Edward Mackay Edgar | The Solent, UK | 57 mph | Gasoline/propeller |
| 1920 | Miss America | Gar Wood | Detroit River, USA | 71.43 mph | Propeller |
| 1921 | Miss America II | Gar Wood | Detroit River, USA | 80.57 mph | Propeller |
Official UIM-Ratified Records (1928-1954) – Propeller Era
| Date | Vessel | Driver | Location | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Sep 1928 | Miss America VII | Gar Wood | Detroit River, USA | 92.84 mph |
| 23 Mar 1929 | Miss America VII | Gar Wood | Indian Creek, USA | 93.12 mph |
| 13 Jun 1930 | Miss England II | Henry Segrave | Windermere, UK | 98.76 mph |
| 20 Mar 1931 | Miss America IX | Gar Wood | Indian Creek, USA | 102.26 mph |
| 2 Apr 1931 | Miss England II | Kaye Don | Parana River, Argentina | 103.49 mph |
| 9 Jul 1931 | Miss England II | Kaye Don | Lake Garda, Italy | 110.22 mph |
| 5 Feb 1932 | Miss America IX | Gar Wood | Indian Creek, USA | 111.71 mph |
| 18 Jul 1932 | Miss England III | Kaye Don | Loch Lomond, Scotland | 119.81 mph |
| 20 Sep 1932 | Miss America X | Gar Wood | St. Clair River, USA | 124.86 mph |
| 1 Sep 1937 | Blue Bird K3 | Malcolm Campbell | Lake Maggiore, Italy/Switzerland | 126.32 mph |
| 2 Sep 1937 | Blue Bird K3 | Malcolm Campbell | Lake Maggiore, Italy/Switzerland | 129.50 mph |
| 17 Sep 1938 | Blue Bird K3 | Malcolm Campbell | Hallwilersee, Switzerland | 130.91 mph |
| 19 Aug 1939 | Blue Bird K4 | Malcolm Campbell | Coniston Water, UK | 141.74 mph |
| 26 Jun 1950 | Slo-Mo-Shun IV | Stanley Sayres / Ted Jones | Lake Washington, USA | 160.32 mph |
| 7 Jul 1952 | Slo-Mo-Shun IV | Stanley Sayres / Elmer Leninschmidt | Lake Washington, USA | 178.50 mph |
Jet Era Records (1955-1978)
| Date | Vessel | Driver | Location | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Jul 1955 | Bluebird K7 | Donald Campbell | Ullswater, UK | 202.32 mph |
| 16 Nov 1955 | Bluebird K7 | Donald Campbell | Lake Mead, USA | 216.20 mph |
| 19 Sep 1956 | Bluebird K7 | Donald Campbell | Coniston Water, UK | 225.63 mph |
| 7 Nov 1957 | Bluebird K7 | Donald Campbell | Coniston Water, UK | 239.07 mph |
| 10 Nov 1958 | Bluebird K7 | Donald Campbell | Coniston Water, UK | 248.62 mph |
| 14 May 1959 | Bluebird K7 | Donald Campbell | Coniston Water, UK | 260.35 mph |
| 31 Dec 1964 | Bluebird K7 | Donald Campbell | Lake Dumbleyung, Australia | 276.33 mph |
| 30 Jun 1967 | Hustler | Lee Taylor | Lake Guntersville, USA | 285.22 mph |
| 20 Nov 1977 | Spirit of Australia | Ken Warby | Blowering Dam, Australia | 288.60 mph |
| 8 Oct 1978 | Spirit of Australia | Ken Warby | Blowering Dam, Australia | 317.59 mph |
The Three Technological Eras
Steam and Early Gasoline (1885-1927)
The earliest water speed records were set by steam-powered vessels. Charles Parsons’ Turbinia, which famously gatecrashed the 1897 Spithead Naval Review at 39 mph, represents the peak of the steam era. The introduction of gasoline engines from 1911 rapidly pushed speeds higher. These early records were not formally ratified by any governing body but are recognised in historical chronologies.
Piston-Engine Hydroplanes (1928-1954)
Official UIM ratification began in 1928. The dominant pattern across this era was a transatlantic rivalry between Gar Wood’s American Miss America boats and the British Blue Bird and Miss England challengers. Malcolm Campbell brought the record to Britain repeatedly in the late 1930s. Post-war, American Allison-engined hydroplanes broke the record twice in 1950 and 1952, pushing beyond 178 mph before jet power made propellers obsolete for outright speed.
Jet Hydroplanes (1955-present)
Donald Campbell’s Bluebird K7, powered by a Metropolitan-Vickers Beryl turbojet, broke the 200 mph barrier in 1955 and dominated the record for the next nine years. After Campbell’s death in 1967, Lee Taylor took the record with Hustler before Ken Warby’s Spirit of Australia set the mark that still stands today. No challenger has beaten it in more than 46 years.
Coniston Water and the British Connection
Coniston Water in the Lake District is the location most associated with the world water speed record. Malcolm Campbell set the final propeller-driven record there in 1939. Donald Campbell set five of his seven jet records on the lake, and died there in January 1967. The Bluebird K7 Festival is held annually on Coniston Water in his memory.
For more on the history of the record before Bluebird, see: Before Bluebird: The Forgotten Race for the World Water Speed Record.
Water Speed Record Coverage on Powerboat News
History, record attempts, Coniston Water events and the story of Bluebird K7.
All Water Speed Record Coverage