Water speed record
Speed Craft Captain ( s ) Location Date
70.86 mph ( 114.04 km/h ) HD-4 Casey Baldwin Bras d'Or Lake 19 September 1919
74.87 mph ( 120.49 km/h ) Miss America Gar Wood Detroit River 15 September 1920
80.567 mph ( 129.660 km/h ) Miss America II Gar Wood Detroit River 6 September 1921
87.392 mph ( 140.644 km/h ) Farman Hydroglider Jules Fisher River Seine 10 November 1924
92.838 mph ( 149.408 km/h ) Miss America VII George Wood Detroit River 4 September 1928
93.123 mph ( 149.867 km/h ) Miss America VII Gar Wood Indian Creek 23 March 1929
98.760 mph ( 158.939 km/h ) Miss England II Henry Segrave Windermere 13 June 1930
102.256 mph ( 164.565 km/h ) Miss America IX Gar Wood Indian Creek 20 March 1931
103.49 mph ( 166.55 km/h ) Miss England II Kaye Don Paraná River 15 April 1931
110.223 mph ( 177.387 km/h ) Miss England II Kaye Don Lake Garda 31 July 1931
111.712 mph ( 179.783 km/h ) Miss America IX Gar Wood Indian Creek 5 February 1932
117 mph ( 188 km/h ) Miss England III Kaye Don Loch Lomond 18 July 1932
119.81 mph ( 192.82 km/h ) Miss England III Kaye Don Loch Lomond 18 July 1932
124.86 mph ( 200.94 km/h ) Miss America X Gar Wood St. Clair River 20 September 1932
126.32 mph ( 203.29 km/h ) Blue Bird K3 Malcolm Campbell Lake Maggiore 1 September 1937
129.50 mph ( 208.41 km/h ) Blue Bird K3 Malcolm Campbell Lake Maggiore 2 September 1937
130.91 mph ( 210.68 km/h ) Blue Bird K3 Malcolm Campbell Hallwilersee 17 September 1938
141.74 mph ( 228.11 km/h ) Blue Bird K4 Malcolm Campbell Coniston Water 19 August 1939
160.323 mph ( 258.015 km/h ) Slo-Mo-Shun IV Stanley Sayres , Ted O. Jones Lake Washington 26 June 1950
178.497 mph ( 287.263 km/h ) Slo-Mo-Shun IV Stanley Sayres , Elmer Leninschmidt Lake Washington 7 July 1952
Record holders
The World Unlimited water speed record is the officially recognised fastest speed achieved by a water-borne vehicle. The current record is - achieved by Australian Ken Warby in the Spirit of Australia in 1978. The record is one of the sporting world's most hazardous competitions. Two official attempts to beat the 1978 record have resulted in the death of the driver; but despite this there are several teams working to make further attempts. The record is ratified by the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM).