Campbell Bluebird K7 Re-launch Part 2

A Powerboat enthusiast has been selected to pilot the legendary record-breaking Bluebird K7 which crashed and sank more than 40 years ago.

Cumbrian computer analyst Ted Walsh said it was "a great honour" to be chosen and added he would do his best to pay tribute to Donald Campbell, who died in the incident. The wreckage of Bluebird was discovered by a group of amateur divers in 2000.

Ever since project leader Bill Smith announced he would raise and rebuild the wreck, speculation has been rife about who might pilot the boat. It is expected to be re-launched on Coniston Water where it crashed in 1967. "There are an awful lot of people out there who would give their back teeth to get in that chair," Mr Walsh said. "The honour of getting in that boat and doing what it does will be fantastic." A group of volunteers in North Shields are currently restoring Bluebird K7 and, despite the extensive damage inflicted on her when she crashed, they plan to re-launch the powerboat in 2012.

Donald Campbell was an internationally recognised celebrity when he died at Coniston. In Bluebird he broke the water speed record seven times and was seconds away from breaking another when his boat hit the surface of the lake at almost 200mph. Several theories for the accident have been explored and some people have even suggested he committed suicide. But fresh analysis of television footage shows a combination of engine failure, speed and an uneven water surface were the reasons for the crash.

Bluebird K7 will no longer be expected to break records although a special bye-law has been passed temporarily suspending Coniston Water's speed limit and allowing her to travel at up to 100mph. Thousands of people are expected to turn up in Cumbria for the spectacle. Campbell's daughter said "I think it will send shivers up a lot of peoples' spines. It will be a thrill to see and hear." Mr Walsh said: "I implicitly understand the issues and the kudos and the reverence in which Donald Campbell was held and is still held? likewise the construction of the boat, the era it comes from and the team of people who built it and are now rebuilding it."

1. By: GowerWaterSports
2. Categories Other
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4. Added :17-Jan-11
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