Skip to main content

The white-knuckled tale of Spirit of Australia: the fastest boat in the world

Since the 1910s, daring souls have been pushing boats to their absolute limits in pursuit of the illustrious World Unlimited Water Speed Record. Unfazed by the extreme danger involved with attempting such a feat, boaters continue to chase the record today, building ever more advanced machines in hopes of stealing the title. Yet, despite the fact that today’s speed boaters have drastically better technology at their disposal, nobody has been able to beat a record set in 1978.

Believe it or not, the current World Unlimited Water Speed Record was set by an Australian motorboat racer named Ken Warby, in a wooden boat called the Spirit of Australia that he built in his back yard. On October 8, 1978, on the Tumut River near Sydney, Warby took the boat up to a blistering 317.59 miles per hour — shattering the previous record of 288.59 miles per hour set a year prior.

Recommended Videos

It’s worth noting, however, that two separate one-kilometer runs must be recorded in order to qualify for the World Unlimited Water Speed Record, and the average speed of both run becomes the official speed. Therefore, Warby’s second run was even faster than the official record — 328 mph, to be exact — when he set the record in Australia.

In order to achieve such an incredible speed, Spirit of Australia had to be outfitted with a powerful engine — a Westinghouse J34 jet engine, in fact. The Westinghouse Aviation Gas Turbine Division developed the engine in 1940, engineering it to produce more than 3,000 pounds of thrust, which explains how the tiny wooden craft was able to move so quickly.

World's fastest boat - 511 km/h - Ken Warby - great documentary from 30 years ago

The act of setting such a record is extremely dangerous. Since the 1930s, 85 percent of all who have attempted to set a new record have met their end. Even Donald Campbell, Warby’s childhood hero and the British land and water speed record holder (who held consecutive water speed world records from 1955 to 1964), died attempting to set another record in 1967 after his boat went airborn mid-run. Despite this, Warby wanted to become the first Australian to set the record. Even in the face of such deadly odds, motorboat enthusiasts all over the globe covet the World Unlimited Water Speed Record, many of whom put everything on the line every year in an attempt to reach new speeds.

Prior to 1978, America and Britain continually went back and forth as record holders, until Warby claimed the record for Australia. Warby’s historic run unseated the American boat Hustler and pilot Lee Taylor, who was the first person to overcome Donald Campbell and the Blue Bird K7, the latter of which had set consecutive records from July 1955 to December 1964. Ever since Warby set the record, Spirit of Australia has gone unbeaten, and the record title remains with the Australian pilot. Several projects are currently underway to break the 318 mph ceiling, including Britain’s Quicksilver, America’s American Challenge, and several others.

Not to be outdone, Warby has passed along the racing torch to his son Dave, and both began construction on Spirit of Australia II in 2013. The followup craft is said to be equipped with twin Rolls-Royce Orpheus 803 jet engines. The original Spirit of Australia is now on display at the Australian National Maritime Museum. Whether Dave will follow in his father’s footsteps and attempt his own record-setting in the Spirit of Australia II remains to be seen, but in the meantime, Ken Warby will be enjoying his retirement and the satisfaction of achieving his lifelong dream — and living to tell the tale.

Brendan Hesse
Former Staff Writer, Home Theater
Brendan has written about a wide swath of topics, including music, fitness and nutrition, and pop culture, but tech was…
The Ioniq 5 is once again eligible for the $7,500 tax credit
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5

After a brief and confusing absence, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 is once again eligible for the full $7,500 federal tax credit — and this time, it's sticking around (at least for now). So, what happened? Let’s unpack the ride.

The Ioniq 5, a sleek and tech-savvy electric crossover, initially made headlines not just for its design, but for being built at Hyundai’s brand-new Metaplant in Georgia. That domestic assembly qualified it for the EV tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which requires vehicles to be made in North America with batteries sourced from trade-friendly countries. But early in 2025, the Ioniq 5 vanished from the list. Why? Likely due to its battery packs, which were then still being sourced from SK On’s Hungarian facility.

Read more
Sebastian Stan lays out Bucky’s future after Thunderbolts
Sebastian Stan in Thunderbolts.

There are some spoilers ahead for the ending of Marvel's Thunderbolts. Stop reading now if you don't want to be spoiled.

Earlier this year, Captain America: Brave New World briefly introduced a new direction for James "Bucky" Barnes, a character Sebastian Stan has been playing since 2011 in Captain America: The First Avenger. In Brave New World, the former Winter Soldier apparently retired from being a reformed hero and went into politics by running for Congress. Thunderbolts reveals that Bucky won his election to the House of Representatives. But his stay in Congress was short.

Read more
Jeep Compass EV breaks cover—but will it come to the U.S.?
jeep compass ev us newjeepcompassfirsteditionhawaii  4

Jeep just pulled the wraps off the all-new Compass EV, and while it’s an exciting leap into the electric future, there's a catch—it might not make it to the U.S. anytime soon.
This is a brand new electric version of the Jeep Compass, and being built on Stellantis' STLA platform—the same architecture underpinning models like the Peugeot E-3008 and E-5008—it looks much slicker and packs a lot more inside than previous versions of the Compass.
Let’s start with what’s cool: the new Compass EV is packing up to 404 miles of range on a single charge, a 74 kWh battery, and fast-charging that gets you from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Not bad for a compact SUV with Jeep's badge on the nose.
There are two versions: a front-wheel-drive model with 213 horsepower and a beefier all-wheel-drive version with 375 horsepower. That AWD setup isn’t just for looks—it can handle 20% inclines even without front traction, and comes with extra ground clearance and better off-road angles. In short, it’s still a Jeep.
The design's been refreshed too, and inside you’ll find the kind of tech and comfort you’d expect in a modern EV—sleek, smart, and ready for both city streets and dirt trails.
But here’s the thing: even though production starts soon in Italy, Jeep hasn’t said whether the Compass EV is coming to America. And the signs aren’t promising.
Plans to build it in Canada were recently put on hold, with production now delayed until at least early 2026. Some of that might have to do with possible U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican vehicles—adding a layer of uncertainty to the whole rollout.
According to Kelley Blue Book, a Stellantis spokesperson confirmed that the company has “temporarily paused work on the next-generation Jeep Compass, including activities at” the Canadian plant that was originally meant to build the model. They added that Stellantis is “reassessing its product strategy in North America” to better match customer needs and demand for different powertrain options.
So while Europe and other markets are gearing up to get the Compass EV soon, American drivers might be left waiting—or miss out entirely.
That’s a shame, because on paper, this electric Jeep hits a lot of sweet spots. Let’s just hope it finds a way over here.

Read more