Originally Posted by
Master Oil Racing Team
1967 was turning into a volatile year. Race riots continued, more and more people were showing up at Vietnam War protest events, and Israel had the 6 Day War. In January of 1967 world famous car and boat speed record holder. Donald Campbell died in an attempt to bring the water speed record back to Great Brittain. He had spent some time at Conniston attempting to set the record, and had setbacks with weather and mechanical problems.
On January 4, Campbell made a two way pass with an average of 297.6 mph, with one run at 315. There goal was to reach or surpass the 300 mph mark in his jet powered boat Bluebird K7. The plans were for him to return to shore, refuel and wait for the water surface to calm before the next run. Instead Campbell stayed on the water and came around for another set of runs.
On his return he managed to get up to 320 mph before crashing. The last words from his onboard transmitter were "Pitching a bit down here....Probably from my own wash...Straightening up now on track....Rather close to Peel Island...Tramping like mad....er..Full power...Tramping like hell here....I can't see much....and the water's very bad indeed.....I can't get over the top....I'm getting a lot of bloody row in here...I can't see anything...I've got the bows up....I've gone.....Oh!"
A sad day and loss for all the boat racing world. He was the only person to have set both land and water speed records in the same year.