Speed queen Gina thirsts for firsts

Press, 1 December 1988, Page 3

Speed queen Gina thirsts for firsts

By

NIGEL MALTHUS

“Life in the fast lane” seems hardly adequate for Gina Campbell, granddaughter and daughter of the recordbreaking Sir Malcolm Campbell, and Donald Campbell, and a world-speed record holder in her own right. Now racing around New Zealand in a blur of interviews, talkback sessions and book-signings, she admits to a $2OO instant speeding fine on Auckland Harbour Bridge a few days ago, and a stunningly quick time between Timaru and Christchurch on Tuesday, but still accuses rental car companies of putting speed governors on their vehicles. “I just don’t want to be behind anyone,” she explained. “We weren’t allowed ever to be second, as a family. Who remembers second, anyway?” Ms Campbell, whose four-year-old record of 122.85 miles an hour still qualifies her as the fastest woman on water, is touring New Zealand promoting both water safety, and her recently published memoirs, “Bluebirds — the Story of the Campbell Dynasty.” The trip has been both complicated and delayed by the recent discovery of a headless body in Lake Coniston in north England, where her father, Donald Campbell, was killed in a record attempt in January, 1967. She nearly cut short a bookpromotion visit to Australia to fly to England, but in the end found the intense news media interest so emotionally draining she simply took a few days off to recuperate, and now

plans to fly to England next week. “I’ve waited 21 years for him — he can wait another week for me,” she said. The English authorities have since said that they do not believe the body to be that of Donald Campbell, but Ms Campbell still has a “gut feeling,” fueled by a bizarre dream a few days before, in which she dreamed, his headless body had been found and was being “hawked around for public display.” “I shall be convinced even if the police aren’t,” she said. Ms Campbell’s other task in England will be to sell her house, before buying in New Zealand. She’s no stranger to this country, having her step-mother living in Auckland, a step-sister in Napier, and business connections in Wellington. She’s hoping to settle at Taupo, where she threatens to run “the fastest fishing charters on the lake.” She also hopes to continue her passion for powerboat racing, sponsors permitting. Her British sponsor, Agfa, will not let her bring her powerboat to New Zealand, but she said that it was getting too old anyway. “People are beating me, purely on better equipment,” she said. Ms Campbell will also appear in another round of water safety commercials for the Water Safety Council, again featuring Mr Whoppit, her teddy bear racing mascot which had been Donald Campbell’s mascot and was found floating on Lake Coniston after his crash.