Italian champion speed boat racer killed in record bid
Xi Jia and AP

Italian champion speed boat racer Fabio Buzzi and two other people have died after their boat smashed into an artificial reef at the entrance of the Venice laguna, Italy while trying to break a speed record. 

According to Italian news agency ANSA, the 76-year-old Italian was near the finishing line of his route from Monte Carlo. 

Firefighters said one of the men, Mario Invernizzi, was thrown off the boat and was taken to hospital while the bodies of the three others were found by scuba divers inside the cabin. 

A second victim was named as Luca Nicolini, also from Italy, by the president of the Italian Offshore and Endurance Committee, Giampaolo Montavoci. The third is believed to be a Dutch mechnic.

According to Venezia Today, the boat was travelling at around 148km/h when it hit an artificial reef. Fabio Buzzi won 10 world championships since he began his racing career 40 years ago. In 1978, he set the world speed record for diesel-powered boats at 191.58 km/h.

Wreckage of the racing boat

Wreckage of the racing boat

Source(s): AP