17 years after her father was killed on Coniston Water trying to break his own world water speed record, Gina Campbell found herself in hauntingly similar circumstances - but unlike Donald, fate let her live.
A plucky 5ft 3ins blue-eyed blonde, Gina is astute and tenacious, with an overriding, some might say “genetic” addiction to speed, as evidenced by her own additions to the family's record-breaking heritage. The Campbells always lived life in the fast lane and Gina is no exception.
Gina did not have what one would consider a conventional upbringing. Born on the 19th September 1949, her parents divorced when Gina was only a few months old, and, due to her father's rather turbulent lifestyle, mother was given full custody of the child. However, very soon, Gina's mother fell in love with a man whose career with the Foreign Office would take him abroad - no place for a child, and so Gina was placed in a boarding-home-school for infants.
Years later, when she was 5yrs old Donald remarried a stunning New Zealand singer/actress called Dorothy. As soon as she found out where Gina was, Dorothy promptly rescued the girl and took her home, reuniting her with her father. Gina rapidly grew to love Dorothy and thought of her as her own true mother, and to this day, they still maintain an extremely affectionate and close relationship.
Whilst she was growing up, Gina accompanied her father on numerous record attempts, but to a little girl, who knew no different, it seemed a normal lifestyle.
On Christmas Eve, 1959, Gina met the first true love of her life, when she was presented with her very first pony, Columbine, and this love was to play a part in her later life.
On leaving school, Gina’s only ambition was to be with horses, She studied and qualified as a British Horse Society Assistant Instructress, She also attended secretarial college and worked for British Eagle Airlines.
In 1966, Gina was working for a friend of her father, a hotelier by the name of Norman Buckley who owned the Low Wood Hotel at Windermere. Norman was one of the timekeepers on many of Donald's attempts at Coniston. She then left England to work in a hotel in Arosa, Switzerland, and it was here that she heard the sad news of her father's death.
Gina returned to England for the memorial service at St. Martins in the Field. Her grief was so intense that on returning to Switzerland, to ease her pain, she engaged herself in pursuing a pastime that she had shared with her father, skiing.
On returning to England to be with family and friends, Gina immersed herself in work, managing a farm with stables and horses. During this time she met a local show-jumper by the name of Clifford Percy, who she married in 1968. Through her love of horses, and riding skills she established a career as an accomplished show-jumper, winning many rosettes and trophies, and represented Britain in many overseas events. Unfortunately, things did not work out between Gina and Clifford, resulting in their divorcing in early 1979.
Gina next married Phillip Villa, Leo's nephew, in July of that year. Not only did Gina no longer take part in show jumping, but she also missed the business part of the relationship with “Cliffy”. Gina became the dutiful wife, waiting at home with freshly laundered shirts and a hot meal on the table. Phillip worked abroad for several months at a time, and Gina, home alone, soon became bored. In time, a relationship developed with a friend of Phillip’s who was always on hand to service the car. Gina eventually moved out of Phillip's life and in with Mike. Neither he, nor Gina, had much money, and as Gina does not believe the “world owes her a living”, she took a job as a sales representative selling tablecloths and napkins to Hotels in the Southeast to make ends meet.
Once their finances were more settled they bought a sixteen-and-a-half foot ski boat solely for their own pleasure. Seduced by the Campbell passion for speed, drove Gina on to pursue a more adventurous course. Their next purchase, a 25-foot “Phantom” obtained sponsorship from Agfa, and on the 19th March 1984, “Agfa Bluebird” was launched. Media attention had thrown Gina into the spotlight. Gina and Mike went on to prove themselves, and won both the UK Offshore Boating Association Championship, and the Royal Yachting Association National Championships, in their first season (1984).
Later that year Roger Jenkins offered Gina just the boat in which to achieve her 1st women’s World Water Speed record.
The boat, a Hodges catamaran, was also sponsored by Agfa and christened “Agfa Bluebird”. The date was October 1984, and the venue, Holme Pierpoint, Nott's. Gina had set a new Women's World Water Speed Record of 122.85mph. In the flush of success it was decided that Gina should try and beat that record, another run had to be made within 20 minutes to validate it.
The Team removed the air spoiler, and in their enthusiasm, forgot to realign the engine in relation to the boat. Gina set out and all appeared as it should, when, without warning, Agfa Bluebird tried to fly. Gina was aware Bluebird was doing a backward somersault, and in fear she shouted “My God... holy shit...I'm coming up to join you Dad!”
The boat was smashed to pieces but Gina survived. Undaunted, Gina courageously continued with UK Powerboat Racing until 1987, at which time she left these shores and departed for New Zealand, but even here the power-boating ensued. With her many contacts and her love for the New Zealanders, she became part of the only Kiwi Team at the World Powerboat Championships in Key West Florida in 1987.
Some say that New Zealanders are practically born with webbed feet, for they love water and all its sports. They also have the highest death rate per capita by drowning. Gina, at the request of the New Zealand Water Safety Council, was urged to get the safety aspect across, and so with Mr. Whoppit in tow, toured every school in N.Z. talking to the children about the dangers and safety. The kids, not being familiar with the name Gina Campbell, affectionately called her The Lady with Mr. Whoppit. Gina was with the water safety council for 3yrs, from 1987-1990.
Gina's second record of 156.49 mph was set at Lake Karapiro in N.Z. in April 1990, in a Lauder Bacher 3-point hydro, simply named “Bluebird”. Two months later on the 16th June, Gina was awarded the Queens Service Order for her services to the N.Z. community.
Returning once more to England, she opened a coffee shop in Lymington, Hampshire, and settled in a house she re-named “Bluebird at Lentune”, and which she shared with her parrot “Cream Tea”. She sold the business in 1998 and moved further north to Leeds to live in complete bliss with her current partner, a successful businessman who could give Mr. Kipling a run-for-his money.
Gina is not one for resting on her laurels, and is always turning the next corner seeking new challenges. Together with the Bluebird Project Team and the Ruskin Museum, she is currently involved in trying to obtain funding for the restoration of Bluebird K7, whose final resting-place is expected to be the Ruskin Museum at Coniston.
What next, I wonder???
© Dawn Sempill
Aknowledgements
picture with Donald Campbell: Mike Varndell collection