SPEED records are constantly being broken, so much so that we rarely take notice anymore. So-and-so is now the fastest car on the planet. Next year it will be surpassed, and that one the year after that, and so on. When it comes to flight, it feels like records are broken almost daily, with some new modification squeezing out a few more miles per hour.
With the dizzying pace of technological innovation these days, more powerful engines are built and more aerodynamic frames are designed. Even meteorologists get involved predicting the ideal winds and temperatures to ensure success.
It is quite different when it comes to the sea. While it may not surprise you to hear the fastest boat ever to shoot across the water, it may surprise you to learn how long the record has stood.
Ken Warby did not have corporate sponsors. The Australian man designed his boat at the dining table then went into his backyard and started building. With no access to space-age carbon composites, he built his vessel out of timber and plywood, using the three power tools in his shop: a sander, a drill, and a circular saw. He purchased a used military surplus Westinghouse J34 jet engine at an auction in Sydney for $60 and strapped it into his craft. Even though the unit had seen extensive service with the Australian air force, it still pushed around 3000 pounds of thrust.
To acquire the final pieces and to test the boat was going to cost more money, so Warby painted and sold the paintings to finance his project. He also sought help from Shell Oil, who agreed to sponsor him. That kind of backing brought everything together.
Warby ran his boat, the Spirit of Australia, on the Blowering Dam reservoir, figuring correctly that it would be a smoother ride than a natural lake, certainly more stable than the ocean. At the speeds Warby was dreaming of, the slightest wave could render the boat uncontrollable and result in a death-dealing crash. He topped out at 288 miles per hour, crushing the existing world record.
Not one to bask in the glory of his achievement, Warby went back to the drawing board and tried to figure out why his engine felt sluggish. With a little help from the Australian military, who had become quite interested in what Warby was up to, he fine-tuned the jet and tried again.
On the next run, Warby topped 317 miles per hour. It was a milestone achievement and a world record that stands to this day. So significant is Warby’s accomplishment that the event was recorded by multiple cameras, so you can watch the historic run on YouTube and other social media.
Now we come to the most interesting part of the story. Warby set the world record for fastest boat in 1978. Forty-four years ago. Forty-four years of technology and progress. How could his record possibly stand for so long in the age of computers, satellite tracking, titanium, more powerful engines, ultra-light carbon composites, and advanced aero- and hydrodynamics? It was not for trying. Others have attempted to beat Warby’s record but so far everyone who has tried has died. In 1980, Lee Taylor, the previous record holder, tried to win it back and was killed in a crash. In 1989, another attempt ended in the death of the skipper.
The boating world has concluded that man was simply not meant to travel that fast over water. Well, the whole boating world not counting Ken Warby. He has built the Spirit of Australia II and with his son at the helm, they hope to go even faster. If he does, I will let you know.
BC Cook, PhD taught history for over 20 years. He lived on Saipan and travels the Pacific but currently lives on the mainland U.S.
BC Cook
