Australia’s Daring World Record – Ken Warby

In 1978, mechanical engineer and motorboat racer, Ken Warby (1939-2023), set the still-unbeaten world water speed record of 511.11 km/h. 

It was the second time he became the fastest man on water by piloting his home-made wooden jet-powered boat, Spirit of Australia, which Warby built in his backyard with a military jet engine that cost $65. The boat is on display at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney. 

The previous record of 458.98 km/h was held by American, Lee Taylor, whose effort had cost him almost $1 million in 1967.

 Warby’s first successful attempt to break Taylor’s record came ten years after that, when his hydroplane reached speeds of 464.44 km/h.  

Almost a year later, in 1978, Warby did even better, reaching 511.11 km/h - the record that still stands today - more than 40 years later. 

It all happened on Blowering Dam in the NSW Snowy Mountains.  

In true Australian style, the dam remained open to the public for boating and fishing during the world record attempt. 

The challenge is often described as one of the most dangerous in existence. 

Seven of 13 people have been killed while attempting it since 1930.

 Warby was born in Newcastle, NSW, in 1939. 

 He was a teenager when his interest in the sport piqued- he was fascinated by Englishman Donald Campbell, who set land and water speed records in 1964.   

The fastest speed Warby had achieved in a powerboat before building Spirit of Australia was around 140 km/h. 

 In 1972 he began designing and building the boat in the backyard of his home in Sydney Australia, helped by friends and volunteers. 

His neighbours thought he was mad. His friends described Warby as focused, with nerves of steel. 

Warby started designing Spirit of Australia according to what he knew of hull design, built it using wood, tested it at partially complete stages, and gradually tried to find solutions for problems. 

Warby also created his own training programme and learnt “on the job” – at the time, there were no regulations or safety requirements – not even the use of a seatbelt. 

Warby had three air force surplus jet engines that cost him just $265.  

When the first engine was damaged, Warby used his spare $65 one. That engine helped him break his first record. 

His second, and final record saw improvements to Spirit of Australia, with help from the Australia Air Force. The Wagga Wagga RAAF base joined Warby’s project as support crew and gave him his fourth engine, which he swapped for one of his unusable ones. 

Warby’s progress was decided by his limited budget. He only got his first major sponsor - swimwear and accessories company, Speedo – after his first world record in November 1977. 

Warby’s assistants would strap him into the aircraft-style cockpit, and he described his instinctive piloting of Spirit of Australia as ‘You don’t drive the boat, you wear it.’ 

At 500 km/h Warby was doing one kilometre every seven seconds. 

Spirit of Australia was in straight line all the way along, skimming the surface of Blowering dam, delicately balanced and casually rocking from side to side. 

Warby said the gentle rolling motion released air pressure which built up under the hull and threatened to flip the boat. 

But there was nothing hi-tech about the boat and his water speed record attempt had every chance of ending in disaster. Warby’s skills ensured it did not. 

In 1980, Warby accepted an invitation from then-Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser to promote nation by taking Spirit of Australia on a tour of the United States.  

Ken Warby remained in the United States until his death in 2023. By then, he and his son, David Warby had designed a successor - Spirit of Australia II.

David Warby - Warby Motorsport is an experienced powerboat builder, a second-generation Boat racer, & now World Water Speed Record challenger.  

Alongside his father, he analysed the information from Ken Warby’s world records in Spirit of Australia to make “small improvements in the hull design.” 

Spirit of Australia II is almost 50% more powerful than the original boat. 

Warby Motorsport says, “an enormous amount of resources and development work has been invested in refining the Spirit of Australia II.” 

The team says it remains committed to achieving its original objective of setting a new world record.