Warby son chases dad's 511km/h Spirit of Australia record: Updated

In the annals of Australian power-boating history, nothing has stood the test of time like Ken Warby’s self-made water speed record set on November 20, 1977 of 288.60mph, only to be bettered by the fastest man on water on October 8, 1978, when he went 317.60mph or 511.11km/h. That milestone still stands today. But not if his son David has his way.

David Warby is having a crack at his dad’s record on the hallowed waters of Blowering Dam in Tumut, which were closed to boating on the weekend  of October 23-24 to facilitate speed trials of Spirit of Australia II. Unfortunately, electrical malfunctions and windy weather conspired to set back the team after a run of more than 110mph. But speed boating at this level can't leave anything to chance.

Ken’s famous boat, Spirit of Australia, was designed and built from fibreglass in Warby’s backyard in suburban Concord in Sydney. It was driven and propelled by a Westinghouse jet engine bought at auction for $69. There was no seat belt in the rudimentary cockpit, as Ken believed good boat design and ability would see him through the other side. He was right…

On the 30th anniversary of his 1977 speed record, Ken announced his retirement from further record attempts. But he and his son David have been working on a new boat, Spirit of Australia II, to break the record.

The boat has been in build in Newcastle and had taken more than five years to complete. It, too, is powered by a jet engine — from an Italian fighter plane, with 50 per cent more power that Ken’s original Westinghouse.

SPIRIT OF AUSTRALIA II
Spirit of Australia II is the new second-generation, Outright Unlimited World Water Speed Record Challenger by Warby Motorsport. Designed by Ken, it is said to be a new and improved version of the original Spirit of Australia.

Ken and Dave examined the information collected from the two world records in Spirit of Australia, then set about making small improvements in the hull design to ensure the new boat would be a record breaker. It’s already undergone initial trails on the Manning River in Taree, NSW, and now a run on Blowering Dam.

See the jet fire-up in this Taree footage...

The improvements made to the new boat include being slightly longer, sponsons altered, balance (CoG), powerplant change, rudder modifications and safety. Spirit of Australia II has close to 50 per cent more power than the original boat thanks to the Rolls Royce Orpheus 803 Ex Italian Air Force engine removed from a Fiat Gina G-91 jet fighter.

Construction of Spirit of Australia II was lead by Dave Warby, (an experienced boat builder & UIM & APBA accredited reinforced cockpit builder). Along with a reinforced cockpit, there is a six-point harness, the latest Lifeline on-board air system, GPS tracking system, two-way radio system, three-stage on-board fire extinguisher system, on-board flotation system and more.

TRIALS ON BLOWERING DAM
On the weekend of September 23-34, Spirit of Australia II with David behind the wheel underwent limited jet-propelled trials on the same hallowed turf of waters of Blowering Dam in Tumut. The trials were cut short due to electrical malfunction.

It was reported that about 150 people were watching on, including NSW Maritime Boating Safety Officer Jim Canning, who said it was still a great day despite the set backs.

The Warby team was originally aiming to have a full tilt at the World Water Speed Record in mid-November 2018 but they will likely reschedule after the electrical issue, it's been reported.

More at Warby Motosport page.