Cockpit Camera Shows What It’s Like to Flip a Speedboat at 200MPH

Dramatic footage taken inside the cockpit of a speedboat shows what it is like to be flipped into the air at 200 miles per hour (322 kilometers per hour).

The speedboat went airborne while racing on Lake Havasu, Arizona, somersaulting a couple of times before crash-landing back into the water. Both crew members survived the accident with minor injuries.

Speedboat attempting to break 206 mph record flips dramatically on Lake Havasu, crashing into the water. Both racers from Freedom One Racing sustained minor injuries but are OK. High winds may have contributed to the incident. pic.twitter.com/wJvmKTuk76

— NTC Report (@NTC_Report) April 27, 2025

The incident happened on a Saturday at an annual speedboat race that takes place on a three-quarter-mile course (1.2 kilometers). Despite the terrible crash, the boat still crossed the finish line and actually won the contest after it registered a top speed of 200.1 miles per hour (322 kilometers per hour), according to Speedboat Magazine Publisher Ray Lee.

Lee tells the Associated Press that the design of the twin-hull Skater boat the two men were riding in is designed to rise up and hydroplane across the surface of the water. Lee says the windy conditions and adjustments to the vessel’s propeller contributed to the boat becoming airborne.

Cockpit footage of the speedboat that flipped during the 2025 Lake Havasu Desert Storm Shugrue’s Shootout. https://t.co/MHY7J8L8UA pic.twitter.com/N1fAtwMUl4

— NTC Report (@NTC_Report) April 27, 2025

Speedboat racing is inherently dangerous and organizers have cut the length of the courses that were once one mile (1.6 kilometers) and saw boats reach speeds of 240 miles per hour (386 kilometers per hour).

The Freedom One Racing team revealed in a Facebook post that they “were just a little banged up” but perhaps saved by the harnesses and helmets they were wearing. The pair managed to get out safely and the boat was pulled from the water — albeit with severe damage.

“I want to give a shout-out to the fire department, the sheriff, the dive team, and the Desert Storm crew for acting quickly,” says Ryan from Freedom Once Racing. “We heard that they had divers in the water within 20 seconds, on the boat, and got our drivers out safely … Can’t thank those guys enough.”