Fastest in the World

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Celebrating the pioneers of hydrofoils, this book highlights their remarkable achievements. Alexander Graham Bell, while experimenting with flying machines, developed hydrofoils to achieve flight from water. In 1919, he and collaborator Casey Baldwin set a world speed record on Cape Breton's Bras d'Or lakes with their HD-4, reaching 61.5 knots. Fast forward fifty years, and the Canadian navy established a record for the fastest warship with its hydrofoil craft, HMCS Bras d'Or. John Boileau narrates the journey of the naval architects and engineers who aspired to create high-speed submarine chasers, culminating in this exceptional vessel. However, just as Canada was poised to play a significant role in anti-submarine warfare, government support for the Bras d'Or was withdrawn. Today, this once-promising vessel can be viewed at the Maritime Museum of Quebec at l'Islet near Quebec City. The book includes a comprehensive table of contents featuring acknowledgments, an introduction, and detailed chapters on Bell and Baldwin, the Canadian Hydrofoil Project, and the legacy of the Bras d'Or, along with a chronology of hydrofoil development, abbreviations, a glossary, a select bibliography, photo credits, and an index.