WORK is about to begin at a Pendle engineering firm on a high-tech "rocket boat" aimed at breaking the world water speed record.

Space-age materials to be used on the Quicksilver speed boat have been delivered to PDS Engineering, Nelson, and staff will start piecing the intricate machine together next week.

The aim is to have the boat built and tested ready for an attempt at the 20-year-old water speed record on Coniston Water in November 2000. PDS has already established a world class reputation for its taste for speed after taking a leading role in last year's successful Thrust SSC land speed record-breaking run. The firm also worked on the last balloon used by Richard Branson in his attempts to fly around the world.

Now staff are turning their expertise from air and land to water.

Quicksilver has been designed by Ken Norris who designed Donald Campbell's Bluebird boat. It will be piloted by writer, broadcaster and speed enthusiast Nigel Macknight.

Quicksilver will be a cigar-shaped boat with two stabilising outriggers at the back and the Rolls Royce turbojet engine in front of them. It will be made from advanced materials able to withstand the stresses from the impact of the water as its skims along the lake's surface.

PDS clinched a £150,000 contract to build the hull and body of the boat. Its senior executive John Getty said: "The boat will be on the water in 2000, I'm convinced of that.

"We've done the working models and the water tests up to 400mph. Hopefully we've ironed out most of the bugs before it's even been created. It's being built to exceed 400mph and if I didn't think it was going to be safe I wouldn't be doing it."

The 317mph record was set by Australian Ken Warby in 1978.

Coniston is the scene of Campbell's fatal crash in 1967 while he was attempting to break the 300mph barrier. Quicksilver is similar in design to Campbell's Bluebird K7 boat but Mr Getty said the modern machine was stronger, longer, heavier and more powerful than Bluebird.

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