Iconic Bluebird powerboat restored to former glory

by Richard Creasy on 27 Aug 2012 The historic boat, Bluebird, used to break the world water speed record in 1937 has been restored to its former glory. It has taken two decades of painstaking work in a converted chicken shed but the iconic powerboat is ready to take to the water again.

After a remarkable restoration project the 130mph craft, driven into the history books by Sir Malcolm Campbell, has been faithfully rebuilt.

And next month to mark the 75th anniversary of Sir Malcolm breaking the water speed record the boat will power along the River Thames in a fitting tribute to the racing legend.

The 23ft long powerboat had been virtually left to rot after the successful record breaking runs but has now been fully restored by a handful of craftsmen toiling away in a tiny workshop in East Sussex.

The boat, named Bluebird K3, is now owned by powerboat fanatic Karl Foulkes-Halbard who has masterminded the project he started way back in 1990.

It was recently lowered into the water for secret trials at a reservoir in southern England.

'To see the original Bluebird boat back on the water after all this time made the hairs on my neck stand up,' said Mr Foulkes-Halbard.

'It has been a long labour of love to get to this stage and a huge number of man hours but the boat is now as it was when Sir Malcolm broke the record all those years ago.

'This is an incredible piece of British marine history brought back to life. The tests went well and o see it perform in its natural environment again is just a fantastic slice of nostalgia.'

Speed ace Sir Malcolm was the father of Donald Campbell who died in 1967 on Lake Coniston, Cumbria trying to increase the world water speed record above 300mph.

Donald was killed when his Bluebird K7, a successor to the K3, flipped over and sank and the wreckage not recovered until 2001.

Read more of this original Daily Mail article here.