In 1978, Ken Warby set the existing water-speed record of 317 mph. That record has not just stood for 30-plus years, it has not even been approached.

Several years ago I covered the efforts of a British water-speed record campaign that never materialized. The driver/project leader told me Warby's record, "left a lot on the table."

I could only shake my head.

Covering the Phenomenon effort, which wasn't going after anything near the Warby record, in the past seven months got me thinking.

Will anyone ever break Warby's record?

My answer, for the record, is no for a number of reasons, the biggest one being economics. The publicity benefits/advertising benefits of breaking the record can't even approach the cost of what it would take to do it.

So what's your answer?

Have fun.

I've always thought it was no. No offence to Ken or any of the guys trying to beat the old record. I just think that is was one of those moments in time when desire and sheer luck met. It’s a very deadly speed and I think the mortality factor will be the restriction for beating it. I really doubt Ken knew how close he was to death back them. I think he figured it out after the fact and that why he’s never tried it again. No point to cheating death twice. The margin for error is so small that it is probably just not worth doing.

However if it is going to happen, it will be in a BIG craft like the Phenomenon boat. A larger craft will have a little bigger margin for error, thus lowering the risk potential…albeit only slightly.

Maybe another reason is the last few people that attempted the record died trying.

Key word in your question is EVER. I believe at some point it will be broken but probably not in the next 20 years IMO. Technology will advance and at some point it will become feasable in a larger boat like mentioned above.

http://www.kenwarby.com/introduction.htm

wow that boat he broke the record in looks like a death trap

Forever is a very long time. Next 10-15yrs probably not

I would give it 20 years before anyone would even think about it with some new technology and a computer driven boat.

Good question... kind of like the 1/4 mile records the Rocket Cars set in the Low 3's at 400+ so long ago.

To go 317hp on the water takes huge stones....that man deserves major respect and then some!

I think it could be done, but the consequences will prevent people from trying for the foreseeable future. Several people (two, I think) have completed a flying kilo at greater than 300, but Warby is the only man to have survived the second one.