The tragic death of Sir Donald Campbell
Donald Campbell was a very interesting man. Following in his father’s footsteps he became addicted to speed. He wanted to become the first man in the world to achieve 330mph in a boat and break the world water record. This obsession with breaking world speed record eventually cost the daredevil his life as he crashed his K7 powerboat during a record attempt and died instantly. His father was a world speed record holder himself and passed on the speed bug to his son. The younger Campbell wowed the world with his feats of speed during the 1950s and 60s but one mistake cost him his life. Let us take a look on the life and career of one of Britain’s greatest speedsters.
Today not too many people remember Sir Donald Campbell, except for maybe hardcore world speed record buffs. He was one of Britain’s top water speed record holders and was even knighted for his contributions to the sport. Sir Donald Campbell was born in 1921, and his father was a well off man who had been a world speed champion in his days. Sir Malcolm Campbell had amassed 13 world speed records during the 1920s and 30s and had not initially been supportive of his son’s racing ambitions. The young Campbell was sent to private school where he excelled at sports but did not care too much for his studies. During his youth he contracted German measles which turned into Rheumatic Fever. After school the future daredevil wanted to join the RAF but due to his previous illness he was discharged from service. This dismissal pushed him straight into the path of racing powerful boats. Turning his full attention to racing after that, he tried to break as many water speed records as he could.
After his father’s death, Donald inherited his father’s old boat, the K4 which he modified and modernised. Numerous speed records and a crash later, the boat was retired and a more powerful boat, the K7 was purchased to replace it. This new boat had heavy modifications done to it for the speeds that Campbell wanted to achieve. The K7 proved to be a very handy machine and with it Sir Donald set 7 world water speed records between the years 1955 and 1964. With a heavier jet propulsion turbine engine fitted to the new boat, Donald wanted to reach a speed of 330mph, the fastest anyone had ever gone on the water before. On January 4th 1967, he took to the water on the fateful day that would be his last. He tested out the waters and the boat before making his first attempt. He managed to clock 297mph on his first attempt and then turned around to complete the second leg. This turned out to be his fateful error because the water had not yet calmed and there were still ripples on the surface of the lake. On the return leg, just 200m from the finish line and travelling at 300mph, the K7 hit one of these ripples, pitched into the air, somersaulted and nose dived into the water. Sir Donald was killed instantly on impact while the boat completely disintegrated. The wreckage was not found until 2001, 34 years after his death.
Sir Donald’s life was cut short at the age of 45 while trying to do the thing he loved most; break records. Powerboats are very dangerous machines and they constantly flip over and crash. It seems Sir Donald was trying to emulate his father and follow in his footsteps but unfortunately he pushed himself too far. It was once recorded that the senior Campbell had told his son that he would never be like him and they were too different. It seems they were not so different after all; both had an intense love for speed and both broke a lot of world speed records in their illustrious careers. Now, Sir Donald’s daughter Gina has also become a powerboat racer and she is attempting to break world speed records as well. For the Campbells’ it seems racing and the pursuit of speed runs through their veins. Sir Donald Campbell was a great man and a true hero; he achieved things that others only dream of doing and he followed his heart’s desire till the very end.
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