Honouring the Legacy of Bluebird K7 in the Lake District

Starboard Hotels was proud to support this year’s Bluebird K7 - The Festival, an event celebrating the extraordinary achievements of Donald Campbell CBE and his iconic water‑speed records on Coniston Water. The festival brought together heritage enthusiasts, engineering admirers and motoring communities to honour one of the Lake District’s most enduring stories.

Throughout the week, Windermere Manor Hotel welcomed two distinguished car groups whose classic and high‑performance vehicles created a striking display on the hotel grounds. Classic Grand Touring joined us for the first half of the week as part of their Bluebird Legacy Tour, followed later by members of the Worshipful Company of Coachmakers.

Guests were treated to a private post‑dinner presentation from Don Wales, nephew of Donald Campbell, who shared captivating insights into his uncle’s record‑breaking attempts and the engineering brilliance behind Bluebird K7.

Starboard Hotels extends its thanks to The Ruskin Museum for their exceptional work in bringing Bluebird back to Coniston Water, and to the two K7 pilots; Flt Lt David John Gibbs and Dave Warby, whose dedication helped make the festival such a memorable celebration of British innovation and heritage.