Dear land-speed list fans,
I hope that you will forgive this posting about a new world *water* speed
record, especially since many LSR holders have also held the WSR, including
Malcolm and Donald Campbell.
At approximately 10:30 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time on Thursday, June 15,
2000, Russ Wicks <http://www.russwicks.com/> drove the unlimited hydroplane
U-25 Miss Freei to a new propeller-driven water speed record of 205.494 mph
over a measured mile. This is the fastest speed ever recorded over a mile
or kilometer trap by any type of boat using a propeller for propulsion
(drag boats do indeed go faster, for a very short distance).
The site was Lake Washington, in Seattle, Washington, U.S.A. The timing
and surveying was officiated by the American Power Boat Association
(APBA). I assume that they will be submitting this to the UIM. The
northbound run was 207.254 mph, and about three minutes later, the
southbound run was 203.735 mph.
The old record was 200.419 mph by Roy Duby in the Miss US I, in 1962, on
Lake Guntersville in northeastern Alabama. No one has even attempted to
break this record since Dean Chenoweth crashed in October 1979, driving the
Miss Budweiser on the same part of Lake Washington.
The hydroplane was modified slightly from APBA/UHRA rules for the record
attempt: no N2 (RPM) restriction, no fuel flow restriction (estimated at
4.8 gallons per minute for this record attempt), and a smaller propeller
and skid fin. It was powered by a Lycoming L-7C turbine engine.
<http://www.superior-racing.com/>
<http://www.superior-racing.com/news.htm>
<http://www.hydrofest.com/news.htm>
<http://www.hydros.org/>
I was proud to get Mr. Wicks' signature on my visor, to join those of Art
Arfons, Craig Breedlove, Richard Noble, Andy Green, and Ken Warby (317.60
in a thrust-propelled boat in 1978) <http://www.kenwarby.com/>.
Charley Shaffer
Seattle
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