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The Craft
Designing and building Quicksilver is a major technical challenge.
A dedicated team of specialists has risen to that challenge.
A hand-picked team of highly motivated engineers and technical sponsors have already demonstrated the commitment needed to achieve the goal.
In common with all ultra-high-speed waterborne craft, Quicksilver is designed to skim over the water rather than ploughing through it. Achieving a rapid transition from the "displacement condition" (in the water) to the "planing condition" (on the water) has been a critical design challenge, because Coniston Water - with a usable length of a little over five miles - offers a sufficient, but not generous, course distance.
Hull shapes optimised for very high speeds are not usually conducive to making the displacement-to-planing transition rapidly, so a carefully balanced compromise has been necessary.
Quicksilver is the largest and heaviest boat ever to contest the World Water Speed Record. It is also the most powerful.
TECH SPEC
All-up weight: 3.5 tonnes
Length: 11.8 metres
Width: 3.414 metres
Height: 2.977 metres
Structure: High-tensile steel, aluminium, carbonfibre,
Kevlar, carbon/Kevlar, Nylar
Engine type: Rolls-Royce Spey Mk.101 low-bypass turbofan
Engine output: 11,050 pounds static thrust
(approx. 10,000 horsepower)
Fuel capacity: 277 litres (400 litres including
auxiliary saddle tank)
Fuel type: Kerosene
Fuel consumption: One litre per second (full power)
Electrical system: 24-volt DC
SPEED TARGETS
Speed record: 330 mph
Peak speed: 350 mph
Design speed: 400 mph