Bluebird rises again on Bute
The Isle of Bute welcomed the legendary Bluebird K7 hydroplane on August 3 as the boat prepared to take to the water again for the first time in 51 years.
It broke the water world speed record seven times in the hands of racing pioneer Donald Campbell, but Bluebird was destroyed and Campbell killed during a failed eighth world record attempt on January 4, 1967.
Now, a team of dedicated engineers have rebuilt Bluebird and have been testing its abilities on the waters of Loch Fad, giving onlookers a chance to see the hydroplane in action for the first time since Campbell’s fateful 300mph crash more than five decades ago.
Bluebird was destroyed on Coniston Water in the 1967 crash. Its wreckage lay untouched on the lake bed until 2000, when diver Bill Smith led a recovery project to retrieve the remains piece by piece. Smith’s project has since worked tirelessly to restore the boat to working condition.
The planned test runs on Loch Fad were the first steps towards a final high-speed hurrah for Bluebird, after which it will be moved permanently to a museum.
Mr Smith, who used to visit Bute for fishing trips as a teenager, harbours fond memories of the island and was looking forward to getting Bluebird back out on the water again. He said: ‘No one knows how she handles or the best way to jump out in a hurry if needs be, so the name of the game is crew training.’
The famous boat arrived at Rothesay on the CalMac ferry and was displayed to the public on the promenade, before being moved to the loch for testing.