The wife of a powerboat racer who died in a crash last year described watching in horror as his boat veered off course and struck a steel houseboat at high speed during a race meeting at Oulton Broad near Lowestoft, Suffolk. Brett Duncan, 51, died from head injuries sustained when his boat failed to navigate a turn around a buoy on July 24, 2025.

Rhianon Phillips-Duncan, in a statement read to Suffolk Coroner’s Court, recounted filming her husband from the clubhouse as he prepared for the race. She said she warned him to be cautious, but he departed without wearing a kill switch cord attached to the powerboat, which he had borrowed from a friend. “Not knowing exactly what caused the accident has been difficult. He was always methodical about safety precautions,” she said.

Mr. Duncan was racing a 3.9-meter hydroplane owned by his friend Peter Rix. An environmental health officer from East Suffolk Council, Timothy Durrell, testified that the boat had undergone maintenance a month earlier, including the installation of a new steering damper, which had not been removed prior to the crash. Video footage taken during practice laps showed Mr. Duncan, an experienced racer known for speeds exceeding 100 mph, struggling with visor fogging and riding with his helmet visor open.

Mr. Durrell explained that Mr. Duncan successfully navigated a buoy on the outside of another boat but failed to complete the subsequent turn, instead colliding with the houseboat approximately 74 meters from the turning point. This distance complies with the rule that structures must be at least 50 meters away from the race course. No evidence of engine failure was found.

Jackie Beech, a retired nurse and owner of the houseboat involved in the collision, described seeing the hydroplane heading rapidly toward her vessel. She said that Mr. Duncan was initially looking at a different boat but then turned toward the houseboat just before the impact and appeared to have a look of horror on his face.

The inquest into Mr. Duncan’s death is ongoing at Ipswich.