SALTON SEA, Calif. -- A sprint boat pilot set a new world record in the super stock class when he clocked just over 125 miles per hour on the Salton Sea, it was reported Saturday.
Dave Bryant of Mesa, Ariz., was at the helm of "Wild Child'' when he shattered the old record for his class by more than three miles per hour, according to the Desert Sun.
Bryant set the new record around sunset Friday during a three-day event called Salton Sea Speed Week.
With water that is 25 percent saltier than the world's oceans, the Salton Sea is a boat racer's dream when winds are absent. Extra minerals in the inland sea mean more buoyancy and less resistance for speedboats, event organizer Ross Wallach of RPM Racing Enterprises told the Desert Sun.
Salton Sea has suffered from years of bad publicity caused by occasional pollution issues, seasonal fish die-offs, fluctuating shorelines and occasional horrible odors caused by algae blooms.
But boosters say Salton Sea is an underused gem of water in the midst of the desert. Speed Week is the first big boating event on Salton Sea in 30 years, organizers said.
