LET THE RECORD SHOW

WE PAY TRIBUTE TO KEN WARBY, WORLD RECORD-HOLDING AUSSIE MOTORBOAT AND DRAG RACER

- SIMON TELFORD

KEN Warby, the legendary Australian speedboat and drag racer, passed away at the age of 84 on 20 February, still holding the unlimited world water speed record after four decades.

The record is a particularly lethal one, having claimed the lives of many of those who have attempted or held it, including Sir Henry Segrave in 1930, John Cobb in 1952, Mario Verga in 1954, Donald Campbell in 1967, Lee Taylor in 1980 and Craig Arfons in 1989.

Born on 9 May 1939 in Newcastle, Warby graduated from building model boats to creating his first race boat at the age of just 14 in the family backyard.

He continued to build and race boats in the 1960s and early 70s while undertaking a degree in mechanical engineering.