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After several days of anticipation on Coniston Water, the concluding attempts to run Donald Campbell’s restored Bluebird hydroplane were called off, hampered by fierce winds and persistent technical problems. The event, hosted by the Ruskin Museum in Cumbria, marked the first time the craft had returned to the lake since Campbell’s fatal crash in 1967, when he was striving to exceed a water speed record of 300mph (480km/h).
Despite initial hopes to accomplish multiple runs at speeds near 150mph (240km/h) over a seven-day period, the Bluebird managed only one high-speed outing, reaching 100mph (160km/h) on Friday. Saturday’s plans slipped away due to adverse weather conditions alongside mechanical difficulties with the cockpit canopy latch. On Sunday, reserve pilot DJ Gibbs took over driving duties from Australian challenger Dave Warby, but an issue with the starting system prevented any further progress, ending the attempts prematurely.
Jeff Carroll, chairman of the Ruskin Museum, expressed the collective disappointment, emphasizing the team’s earlier optimism. “Everybody is frustrated that we didn’t get long planing runs,” he stated while overseeing the Bluebird being moved back into the workshop. Carroll explained that the crew believed they had resolved previous matters, but a detached pipe on Sunday delayed the process significantly, costing precious time in the limited weather window. Reflecting on Campbell’s relentless efforts between late 1966 and early 1967, he empathised, saying, “You feel how Donald must’ve with two months of it,” and recognized the weight of doubt Campbell faced during his record attempts.
This series of events was intended to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Campbell’s inaugural record set on Coniston Water in September 1956. Gina Campbell, his daughter, shared her awe at witnessing Bluebird’s return to the lake, noting the large crowds gathered along the shore. Yet, some spectators expressed frustration over the initial day’s limited activity, which comprised only a few low-speed familiarisation runs, with further interruptions from strong winds during the week. Anthony ‘Robbie’ Robinson, a crew member from Campbell’s original team, acknowledged the setbacks but remained positive: “We achieved that on Friday. Sadly, the weather has been against us as it so often is in record attempts.” The restored Bluebird had been salvaged from the lake bed in 2001, successfully running again on water for the first time in Scotland in 2018, before finally coming under the Ruskin Museum’s care after a long legal dispute over ownership was settled
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