World Records on the Water

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Most of us are happy just to be out on the water, but some people aren’t satisfied unless they’re the first, the fastest, the youngest or the oldest. For your entertainment, we present a list of Guinness World Records set in boats and on docks around the world.

Video Courtesy of Fishing the Midwest with Bob Jensen

Most Fish Caught in 24 Hours

According to the Guinness World Records website, the most fish caught in 24 hours were the 2,143 caught by Jeff Kolodzinski at the dock of Maynard's Restaurant on Lake Minnetonka in Excelsior, Minnesota on July 30-31, 2010.

Although not yet officially reported on the Guinness site, the Lake Minnetonka Patch reported that Kolodzinski broke his previous record in July 2011 by catching 2,649 fish in 24 hours.

Heaviest Fish Caught: Common Carp

On January 11, 2010, Martin Locke of the UK caught a 42.64-kilogram (94 lb) Carp, common (Cyprinus carpio) at Lac de Curton in France. [photo]

Largest Boat Tie-Up

The largest boat tie-up consisted of 1,651 boats and was organized by the Lake Cumberland Association on Lake Cumberland in Kentucky August 14, 2010. [photo]

Water Speed Record (Fastest Boat)

The official world water speed record is 275.97 knots (511.11 km/h or 317.58 mph). Ken Warby set the record in the unlimited-class jet-powered hydroplane Spirit of Australia on Blowering Dam Lake, New South Wales, Australia, on October 8, 1978. Unofficially, Warby reached an estimated 300 knots (555 km/h, or 344.86 mph) at the same location in 1977. [video]

Fastest Propeller-Driven Boat

Dave Villwock reached a speed of 354.849 km/h (220.493 mph) in Miss Budweiser, an unlimited class hydroplane, on March 13 2004 at Thermalito Afterbay in Oroville, California. The boat is powered by a Lycoming T-55 L-7 turbine engine from a Chinook helicopter, which is rated at 1,976 kW (2,650 hp).  [video]

Fastest Diesel Boat in Production

The fastest diesel boat in production is the XSR48, a 157.5-meter (48-foot) stiff Kevlar/carbon-fiber monocoque hull, 800-bhp race boat, which can achieve speeds in excess of 161 km/h (100 mph) with its race-tuned engine option. Developed by XSMG Marine (UK) and launched in Lymington, Hampshire, UK, in December 2006. [video]

Largest Solar-Powered Boat

Turanor PlanetSolar measures 31 meters long (35 meters with flaps), with a beam of 15 meters (23 m with flaps) and has a displacement of 85 tons. The catamaran’s upper surface is covered in 537 square meters of solar panels allowing the vessel to be powered by solar energy alone. [video]

Deepest Wavepiercing Boat & Fastest Circumnavigation by Powered Boat

The world's most efficient wavepiercing powerboat was Earthrace, a 24-meter (78-foot) long wavepiercing trimaran, which can submarine through waves at depths of 7 meters (23 feet) — deeper than any other boat. Running entirely on biodiesel, and using hemp for the first time in any boat construction, Earthrace was also one of the most environmentally friendly vessels in the world.

Skippered by Pete Bethune (New Zealand), Earthrace set out to break the 75-day world record for circumnavigating the globe in a powerboat (and doing so using only renewable fuels) on 10 March 2007. While that attempt was not successful, a later one was. On 26 June 2009, Earthrace was granted the Union International Motonautique (UIM) record for the fastest circumnavigation by powered boat. The journey took 60 days 23 hrs 49 minutes, beginning in Sagunto, Spain on April 27, 2008, and finishing June 27, 2008.

Earthrace was later renamed the Ady Gil. The boat sank after a clash with a Japanese whaling boat in January 2010.

First Person to Sail Around the World (Solo and Non-stop)

Robin Knox-Johnston of the UK departed from Falmouth, Cornwall, UK, on June 14 1968 in a yacht was called Suhaili as a participant in the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race. By the time he returned to Falmouth on April 22, 1969, he was the only remaining competitor. [Video: nines minutes of excerpts from BBC2 documentary]

Oldest Person to Sail Around the World (Solo and Non-stop)

Minoru Saito of Japan was 71 when he completed a non-stop solo circumnavigation of the world in his 15-meter (50-foot) yacht Shuten-doji II on 6 June 2005, becoming the oldest person to sail around the world. His 233-day journey started and finished near the Japanese port of Misaki. He covered around 50,000 kilometers (27,000 nautical miles).

Although not officially reported on the Guinness site at this time, Saito completed a solo westward circumnavigation in 2011, when he was 77 years old. The 1,080-day trip was his eighth solo around the globe.

Guinness World Records Eliminates “Youngest Sailor” Records

The Guinness World Records no longer recognizes “youngest sailor” records in an attempt to discourage dangerous attempts by teenagers. However, 16-year-old Laura Dekker recently completed a solo circumnavigation.

If you were to set a record on the water, what would you be known for?