Bluebird K7, Donald Campbell’s legendary hydroplane, will run on Coniston Water next year, subject to the approval of a speed exemption application.
Tracy Hodgson, Director of the Ruskin Museum, said: “We have applied to Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA) for the speed exemption to run K7 on Coniston Water, and the dates we have asked for are 10 – 17 May 2026. We do need to stress that until LDNPA authorise these dates nothing is confirmed.
“2026 will be the 70th anniversary of Donald Campbell’s first World Water Speed Record on Coniston Water. He achieved this record on 19th September 1956 with a speed of 225.63mph, and we have chosen 2026 to put K7 back on Coniston Water to commemorate his first Coniston Record.
For those wondering why we haven’t asked for September dates, K7 needs fairly calm water to be able to run. LDNPA have quite rightly said that we can’t run in summer holidays and bank holidays, as Coniston Water has a public right of navigation and during those summer and bank holidays it will be too busy.
“The reason we chose May was because hopefully this will give us the best weather window to run. There is no guarantee that K7 will be able to run every day of the planned dates as running K7 is very weather dependent, and safety will always be our number one priority, but we hope that by doing it over seven days we should get a good bit of weather.
“K7’s return to Coniston Water will be proving trials, this is her first time on Coniston Water in 59 years, and we have new pilots and new crew who need to get used to her. Therefore there will also be land based events happening at the lakeside and in the Village, for everyone to enjoy when K7 isn’t running, with music events planned for the evenings of the final weekend. Everything is still in the early planning stages, so we don’t have anything concrete to report as yet, but once we do there will be a dedicated website set up for the event.”
