# Experienced hydroplane racer died after distraction and missed turn led to crash

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/hydroplane-racer-who-died-in-a-70mph-crash-against-a-houseboat-may-have-been-distracted-after-forgetting-to-attach-a-safety-cord-to-his-wrist/
- Published: 2026-10-27T16:53:17+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-27T17:07:37+00:00
- Original publisher: Daily Mail (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16243229/Hydroplane-racer-died-70mph-crash-houseboat-distracted-forgetting-attach-safety-cord-wrist.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
- Topics: Business, Markets, World

## Key points

- Brett Duncan died in a 70mph hydroplane crash.
- An inquest heard he may have been distracted by an unattached kill cord.
- Investigators found no faults with the boat’s controls.

## Summary

Brett Duncan, an experienced 51-year-old hydroplane racer, died after crashing into a moored houseboat at about 70mph during a practice session at Oulton Broad, Suffolk. An inquest heard that a possible distraction shortly before the crash may have contributed to his failure to turn, though investigators said the precise sequence of events could not be known for certain.

Video analysis showed Duncan looking left and then down into the boat before looking up just before impact. Investigators found the hydroplane’s controls were working normally, but its kill cord was not attached to his wrist; the cord would have stopped the engine if he had been thrown into the water. The coroner concluded that driver error contributed to the collision.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.