The son and father team will set the first ever national speed record for the class in the UK at the helm of the Edox Swiss Watches-backed boat in the week-long event - and Will from Winchester, freely admits he is drawn by the sheer adrenalin rush of record runs: “I’ve been back to Coniston every November for 10 years as there is nothing that compares to the out and out speed of record runs. Trimming the boat for maximum speed without compromise is really thrilling for the crew and we both get a buzz from running close to the edge.”

Panther

Edox will feature in record runs on the famous lake every day through to midday on Friday November 9 when the record will be declared. And there is a bit of national pride at stake for the British crew, as in addition to setting a national record they also want to be recognised as the world’s fastest Panther crew by beating the UIM record for the Panther set in the USA in April. Livorsi Marine pilots Andrew Biddle and Tracy Blumenstein established the first ever speed record for the Panther boat at Biloxi, Mississippi with a two-way average speed of 68.286mph over a one-kilometre course. To keep up to speed with how the British team gets on, visit Powerboat P1.

For more on Coniston Records Week see Coniston Records Week Starts Today.

Written by: Alex Smith
Alex Smith is a journalist, copywriter and magazine editor with a long history in boating and a happy addiction to the water. He’s worked on boats, lived on boats, bought boats, sold boats and – when he’s not actually on board a boat – he can generally be found in his Folkestone office, tapping away at the computer and gazing out to sea.