Assault on the Summit

Shortly after Sir Malcolm Campbell died in 1948, his son Donald learned that a U.S. sportsman was preparing an assault on Sir Malcolm's world water-speed record of 141.74 m.p.h. "By God, they won't have that record," vowed Donald, "not without a fight they won't have it."

Then 27, Donald Campbell was not well prepared to make a fight of it ("I'd never traveled at more than 70 m.p.h. on water, and not much more on land"). But he learned. The U.S.'s Stanley Sayres duly broke Sir Malcolm's record in 1950. but by T955 Donald had it back in the family. In his jet-powered Bluebird II, he roared up and down the course on England's Lake Ullswater at an average speed of 202.32 m.p.h.

Since then, Campbell has held the record unchallenged and upped it every year. But the magic 300-m.p.h. mark on water has become to Campbell what Mount

Everest's summit was to Sir Edmund Hillary: an obsessive challenge just because it was there.

Last week, as his Belgian-born wife Tonia looked on and "prayed all the time," 38-year-old Don Campbell took Bluebird, slightly modified with stabilizing fin and redesigned rudder, in a foam-washed scud across the smooth surface of Lake Coniston in Lancashire at 275.15 m.p.h., negotiated the return run in 245.55 for an average of 260.35--breaking his record of 248.62 made last year.

An uncompromising man, Speedster Campbell was not content, declared he would try for 300 m.p.h. again in 1960. Still more uncompromisingly, he has announced his intention to make 400 m.p.h. on land, is now building a new jet-driven car (also to be named Bluebird) to try for the land mark next year at Utah's Bonneville salt flats. Said he: "I have decided to retire after I have got the double."

For the first time in years, Campbell has a serious U.S. challenger: Bandleader Guy Lombardo, who is building a new aluminum jet-propelled hydroplane that he will try out this fall. Lombardo professed to be undisturbed by Campbell's latest feat. "We figured when we planned our boat," he said, "that we would have to design it to go 300 m.p.h. I'm confident we'll beat Campbell's record."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.