Cheshire Engineering Firm Get Onboard With World Water Speed Record Attempt

Posted by Oliver Valves Ltd on Thursday, September 17, 2009

Location
Knutsford, Cheshire

Full Details

Oliver Valves Ltd are pleased to announce their support of Nigel Macknight's Quicksilver team in their attempt to break the current World Water Speed Record.

Not only is the Cheshire based valve manufacturer sponsoring the historic bid, which sees Quicksilver aiming to smash the present record of 317 mph set by Australian Ken Warby in 1978, Oliver is also developing a bespoke air actuated fuel shut-off valve for Nigel Macknight’s hi-tech vessel.

The attempt is scheduled to take place between January and March 2012 on Coniston Water where speed record legends Donald and Malcolm Campbell both set water speed records.

Macknight’s Quicksilver is powered by a Rolls Royce Spey jet engine which has a power output in excess of 11,100 lb-ft of thrust – almost three times that of Donald Campbell’s Bluebird K7.

Quicksilver is also the largest and heaviest boat ever to contest the World Water Speed Record. It weighs 3.5 tonnes and is 11.8 metres long, 3.414 metres wide and 2.977 metres high.

However the dimensions of the boat are the result of thousands of hours of wind tunnel tests and computer based studies.

“Stability has to be a built in attribute if Quicksilver is to be both safe and successful,” explained Macknight. “The craft's shape and weight distribution had to be very carefully worked out long in advance of construction.

“2012 is, of course, the year that Britain will host the Olympic Games. We want to be the first people to win gold for our country and the chance of achieving this on Coniston Water, with all its historical importance in respect to record breaking attempts, is an extremely exciting prospect”.

To keep abreast of the development of the project ahead of the 2012 record attempt visit the Oliver Valves Quicksilver Blog at http://www.valves.co.uk/blog/.

For more information regarding Oliver Valves call 01565 632636 or visit the website at www.valves.co.uk.

Category
Company News Release