POWER Boat Records week is the ‘spiritual home’ of world water speed record breaking - and this year it is celebrating its 50th event.

In 1970 solicitor, Lake District hotelier and power boat racer Norman Buckley joined with other power boat enthusiasts to form a committee to organise a water speed record attempts event.

As one of the timekeepers on Coniston Water three years earlier, Norman Buckley knew of the importance of correct organisation after witnessing the death of his friend Donald Campbell at his fateful outright speed record attempt.

The newly0formed National Record Attempts Committee announced in April 1970 that the first ‘National Power Boat Record Attempts’ was to start in October on Windermere. The success of this first event laid the bedrock for the annual ‘Records Week’ we see today.

Next week sees the gathering of power boat teams and drivers on Coniston Water for this momentous event (October 31-November 4).

The 50th Water Speed Record event will see watercraft of all sizes and piloted by drivers of all ages take to the hallowed water.

This year’s event will see drivers from across UK and Europe challenge themselves against the clock.

Among the competitors hoping to claim a new World Record this year will be French husband and wife team Mathieu and Tiffany Chiarini-Dutto who will be competing in their Thundercat Inflatable named Catflyer.

Mathieu and Tiffany are already World Record holders after setting a new World Record in a similar class five years ago at Coniston, this year they are hoping to achieve over 71.35mph to achieve a new world record in the P.750 Modified up to 750cc class.

One of the many returning competitors to Coniston this year is the Current Formula 4 British Champion, 20-year-old Jonny Brewer from Lincoln. As well as being the current Formula 4 World Speed record holder after setting the new record at Coniston in 2021 at 80.00 mph, Jonny attended Records Week supporting his father Jason who is a Water Speed Record Breaker too.