A MAN from Hampshire raced to victory at Coniston Speed Records Week.

The competition took place from Monday, October 31 until Friday, November 4.

John Bunyan, from Botley Road in Romsey, took part in the 50th International Powerboat Record Attempts on Coniston Water in the Lake District.

The world-renowned festival attracts competitors from all over the world and this year had entrants from France and Germany along with many from all over the UK.

The 61-year-old, who holds three endurance speed records, attempted to break the OCRDA F2 national speed record in an Argo powerboat appropriately named “Problem Child”.

Hampshire Chronicle:

It started badly on Monday when another competitor broke the existing record by 3mph. Frustratingly, in his first run, John was 9/100ths of a mile an hour too slow. The rest of the week was pretty much in the same vein as, despite numerous attempts, John could not increase his speed.

On Friday with 20 minutes left of the event, John's final run came good. The weather was still far from perfect, making controlling the boat “quite challenging”, he said. 

“I had no idea if I had done enough and I felt that on at least one occasion we were about to go over on the side such was the state of the wind and water," he said. 

"I just could not go any faster.

“There seemed to be a long silence and then the officer of the day announced my speed was 61.28 mph. I had done it, the relief was just incredible, after everything I had been through over the week, wind, rain and frustration but I had done it”.

The event is held annually and returns next year on Coniston Water from Monday, October 30 to Friday, November 3.