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Lake Maggiore |
Lake Maggiore (or Verbano) is a lake basin of north-eastern Piedmont which borders with Lombardy and Switzerland, is the second largest among Italian lakes after Lake Garda. Sheltered by the Alpine ring, it occupies a valley gullu probably of tectonic origin; it extends for 65 Km. with a prevalently NNE-SSW direction from Magadino to Sesto Calende; its maximum width is of 4.5 Km. (between Cannero Riviera and Germignaga, exluding the Borromeo Gulf) and has a surface of 212.2 Km. Its major surface is to be found in Italian territory, where it acts as a boundary between the region Piedmont and region Lombardy; only the extreme northern sector (42 Km) belongs to Switzerland. Its coastline is 166 Km. long.
Sir Malcolm chose Lake Maggiore due to its huge expanse of water. At the Italian end lies Sesto Collende, an Italian Navy base, but due to restrictions, Locarno in Switzerland was chosen. The Canottiere Pelicani (Locarno’s local sculling club) had offered them the use of their boathouse with a slipway. Concesssions, such as free board and lodgings, were laid on because Sir Malcolm and his hydroplane were a definite attraction. There was also a place situated midway across the lake where there was a promontory ideal for the timekeepers, and a 4½ mile course laid diagonally across the lake from Mappo to Gerro.
Bluebird K3 was delivered on an Adams Transport lorry to Locarno. The local mayor Syndaco Rusco showed great interest in the boat when it arrived, and influenced a Roman Catholic priest to bless the boat and christened her Uccello Azzuro in the boathouse with holy water on the bows. It is typical of Campbell’s tact as an unofficial British ambassador, that despite being a Scots Protestant with distinctly low church ideas, he accepted the offer and was present at the ceremony.
After Campbell’s first sprint, he complained that the temperature gauge had risen over 100 degrees. After discussion, Cooper and Railton transferred the water scoop from the forward step to the transom, because it was suspected that on the planning the step lifted the scoop right out of the water.
Two days later, whilst making a trial, the water scoop proved so robust and its water aperture so big that it tore a portion of the transom. After modification, Campbell decided to attack Gar Wood’s water speed record. The water temperature went up so high that it literally blew up the R-37 engine, and Campbell had to be towed back to the dock. The engine was replaced with the R 39 engine, and repairs were made to the boat. On September 1st 1937, Campbell broke the water speed record with a new average of 123.33 mph, commenting ‘She’s a proper sow to hold - yawing all over the ruddy place. I know I can do better and all being well, I’ll take another crack tomorrow’. The following day, he improved his own record to 129.5 mph.