Ken Warby

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Model of the world record boat Spirit of Australia

Ken Warby (born May 9, 1939 in Newcastle, Australia ) is an Australian racing boat driver . He holds the current world speed record on the water .

Career

Boating

Ken Warby took an interest in water motorsport when he was 16. He built his racing boats himself, based on designs by Donald Campbell , who held the world speed record on the water at the time.

His boat, the Spirit of Australia , was designed and built by Warby himself. It consists of glass fiber reinforced plastic and balsa wood . He bought the Westinghouse J34 jet engine from a decommissioned military aircraft for $ 69 at auction.

Record run

On November 20, 1977, he set the boat on the Blowering Dam with 288.18 mph (463.78 km / h ) on his first speed record on the water. A year later on October 8, 1978, he improved his record to 317.60 mph (511.13 km / h), which is still in use today.

Ken Warby and his son Dave Warby are building a new boat called Spirit of Australia II with the aim of breaking the 1978 record. Testing of the new boat began in 2017.

Web links

Commons : Ken Warby  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Australian National Maritime Museum - Internet site: Ken Warby. In: arhv.anmm.gov.au , accessed on April 8, 2019 .
  2. ↑ a b Sea.Museum - website: Ken Warby and Spirit of Australia: Still the world record holder, 40 years later. From: www.sea.museum , accessed April 8, 2019 .
  3. ↑ Warbymotorsport - website: Our New World Water Speed Record Challenge. From: warbymotorsport.com , accessed April 8, 2019 .
personal data
SURNAME Warby, Ken
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Australian speedboat driver
DATE OF BIRTH May 9, 1939
PLACE OF BIRTH Newcastle , Australia