World Water Speed Record Breaking week on at Coniston

The event, entirely managed by volunteers, sees teams chasing new world records in any vessel imaginable, from jet skis to 300-horsepower diesel powerboats. This year celebrates the 50th event and 53rd anniversary of the formation of the committee that runs it. 

From age 12 through to drivers with more than 40 years' of experience, the boats will be approaching 100 miles per hour on the often choppy Coniston Water. This week will be particularly difficult to set records because of a strong headwind and adverse conditions, but that will not stop the teams from trying. 

The boats included jetskis (Image: Newsquest)

To get the record, the team travel south and then north over Coniston, and the average speed from the two trips counts as the record attempt. 

One team hoping to achieve glory is British manufacturer Cox, with Adam Brown from Kendal driving the boat. The team had already achieved a British record for their diesel class and was getting a World Record ratified. 

The team got a speed of 59.73mph for the Diesel Outboard Outright class. 

Adam said: "We've got a lot of variables in the boat that I'm adjusting to try and reach maximum speed. Engine trim which is the angle of the engine to the back of the boat and then on our craft we have trim tabs which lengthen the boat at the stern and are adjustable up and down. Down brings the nose down but increases drag.

The Cox team with driver Adam Brown in the centre (Image: Newsquest)

"I've been involved in speed powerboat racing and record-breaking my entire life, because my father was involved and my grandfather." 

One volunteer that has been involved every year since its start is Richard Solomon who is an Officer of the Day. He said: "I like the people that do it, I did it myself I held the national record for a while. It's just the joy of people really attempting things that they've never done before."

Richard Solomon, a volunteer who has attended every event (Image: Newsquest)

This included German team Mercury Racing from Berlin, who also set a record in their class of 76.7mph on their second run. Stef Scheepers, co-pilot and navigator, and Hagen Jerzynski said that they enjoyed the beauty of the scenery, and would 'definitely' be back again next year.