A faster future – inspired by the past

With propulsion from a Rolls-Royce Spey turbofan generating 10,000 horsepower, Quicksilver  is certainly powerful. But there is finesse, too – because many years of painstaking effort were devoted to its conception. You need look no further than the pages you'll reach through this one to appreciate the depth, scope and quality of the engineering work we've put in so far.

Quicksilver  takes the World Water Speed Record into new territory, in that many aspects of its design are unique and experimental. It's being built to test things as well as go quickly. It's therefore as much a research tool as a speedster. For us, exploring – finding a better way – is as important as setting a new record. Because learning unlocks the speed we seek.

And our heritage is never very far away. There is a revered bloodline of great British boats in world speed-record history. Our aim is to progress that lineage by combining the best qualities of previous winners with fresh thinking of our own.

Through the combined energy of team-members, sponsors and supporters, construction of Quicksilver  is reaching an advanced stage. These are exciting times as we press on to our goal of floating the boat for first trials.

Britain's got its water-speed mojo working again! Inspired by a legacy, here is the boat for a bold new era.