If you are considering going on a speedboat ride and what to know a little more about the activity you are getting into, here are some interesting facts about speedboats that you probably don’t know:
- Sir William Hamilton was a New Zealand engineer who developed the modern jetboat. He is also the founder of CWF Hamilton Ltd, the world’s leading waterjet manufacturer. Bill Hamilton, as he is commonly known, developed the waterjet in 1954 to easily maneuver through the fast shallow rivers of New Zealand.
- The first workshop for the jetboat was called Irishman Creek Station in 1924. It was at this station that Bill Hamilton led the hydroelectric age by having his own turbine to produce electricity for the home and workshops.
- The Jetboat Association of Australia was formed in 1971. This has been Australia’s premier and official jetboating club for over 40 years. Jetboaters from all over the world can become members and the club has shared a strong affiliation with ‘JetBoating New Zealand’ for many years.
- Jetboats do not have rotating external parts. They do not use propellers to function. A jetboat is propelled by a jet of water emitted from the rear of the boat; draws water from under the boat to a jet pump inside the boat, which is then expelled through a nozzle at the stern. Unlike conventional watercraft that use a propeller, the jet boat’s engineering proved to be more convenient for traversing shallow waterways.
- 1977 Sir Edmund Hillary led the first speedboat expedition entitled “Ocean to the Sky”, from the mouth of the Ganges River to its source.
- Larger jet vessels can be located in the military or the high-speed passenger / car ferry industry. The largest jet-powered ship is the Valor class frigates (120m long), this is a German-made ship.
- Queenstown, New Zealand, was where the jetboat was first conceptualized. It claims to be the jet boat capital of the world. It is in this country that the first endurance race consisting of several days of river racing was held in 1970. New Zealand has managed to pioneer most jet boat activities.
- The “fastest man in the water” in the world is Australian Ken Warby with his speedboat “Spirit of Australia” at Blowering Dam NSW on October 8, 1978. His record speed of 317.60 / 511.11 km / h carries 25 years undefeated and Ken is intent on breaking his own speed achievement. He is finalizing the construction of his new ship which will also run at Blowering Dam.
- There are two types of jet engines: the interior and the exterior. The jet system consumes 30% of the engine’s power when it takes in water and projects it backwards.
- The Quicksilver Water Speed Challenge in Australia is the most dangerous water race in the world.