We are now the best part of three quarters of the way through this year’s Coniston Power Boats Records Week, and truly the spirit of the Campbells and their like lives on.
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| Coniston is not so quiet at the moment |
The craft range from small hydroplanes to circuit racers and offshore boats, with dozens of determined entrants competing against the clock over a kilometre (two-thirds of a mile) stretch of the famous lake. Junior categories will see speeds of up to 50mph (80kmh) reached, while those at the top end have been known to clock up to 180mph (290kmh) in previous years.
For most, it is the thrills of the event, running until today, that provide a stark contrast to their everyday lives.
"You want to be the fastest, it's that simple," says Jim Noone, matter-of-factly. He is a 55-year-old analytical chemist, as well as being the quickest man on Windermere after reaching 154.8mph (249.1kmh) in 2003, and he certainly projects the image of an unlikely world record holder.
Based in Leeds, he spends most Monday-to-Fridays testing the composition and quality of concrete. Formerly the owner of the business, he sold it five years ago and now acts as a consultant. "It's all done in holiday time," he says about his record-breaking attempts.
"I leave on a Thursday evening and am back to work on the Tuesday." He said his work and play were "very different" although "they both require a very thorough approach - you can't leave anything to chance".
He lives just north of Barnsley, and has a strong link with Records Week, because he attended the very first event 43 years ago, at the age of 12 with his father. Over his 25 years of competing, he has set several world bests, and being a member of the organising committee also takes up his time.
"Record-setting is much more intense than racing - you don't break records at half throttle," he says. All your senses are heightened. It's like you're floating. You can't even see any spray."
It's a similar story for 40-year-old Seattle roofer JW Myers. He has set the small matter of 12 world records in 20 years, including a speed of 176.1mph (283.4kmh) at Coniston last year in the H1 Unlimited class - the fastest and most powerful category of race boats.
"I've never taken drugs, but I imagine this has got to be way better," he says.
Company director Neil Jackson, who sits at the controls of a high-spec B23 "Batboat" costing around £20,000, is another who is hopelessly drawn to the extreme nature of the sport.
The 50-year-old, from Portsmouth, who has set a number of endurance records as well as the BCC Class 2 British best of 79.51mph (127.9kmh), spends his working week travelling up and down motorways visiting clients of the two firms he is involved with.
"I grew up on the River Thames so I've always been interested in boats" he says. "I started 23 years ago and was involved in a safety capacity, but then I thought, 'I wouldn't mind a piece of that'. Making a record-attempt is absolutely nerve-wracking - you're on the rev limiter so quickly and you're putting your foot through the floor because you're wanting more speed. Eighty-something miles an hour on water is rapid."
But it is not just adults who are taking to the water. Swapping the classroom this week for the magnificent setting of Coniston is 13-year-old Ben Jelf. He will be following in the steps of his father, grandfather and uncle when competing in the GT15 class, the entry level for nine to 16-year-olds. He holds the world record for the category at 44.4mph (71.4kmh) and has already won in British and European racing championships.
"As it's a specialist sports college, my teachers are very encouraging... the racing is always more exciting than school work though," he admits. "I'm quite disciplined about getting my homework done," he says. "I always manage to fit it all in."
It is perhaps the dangers that divide the enthusiasts from the rest of us as Mr Noone knows all too well. His 17-year-old half-brother, BJ, was killed in 1997 when he was hit by another boat. Mr Noone himself has suffered serious injury, particularly the time when he was left in hospital after a crash on Windermere twelve years ago in which he dislocated his shoulders and back.
"The nose lifted and the boat ended up 60ft clear in the air," he says. "I wasn't strapped in so was able to propel myself out. I knew I couldn't have it land on top of me."
Undeterred, he made a return the following year when he had the satisfaction of topping 103mph in his one-litre inboard hydroplane - smashing the record he had been aiming for 12 months earlier.
"I had unfinished business. I had to go back," he adds. "But it can go right or wrong in just 25 seconds and the slightest bump means you can go over. The end of the run is a mix of relief and elation."
Coniston Water Records Week
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