Lymington's Richard Jenkins smashes wind-power speed record in Las Vegas

Richard Jenkins, from Lymington, clocked 126.1mph in the Ecotricity Greenbird, harnessing winds of just 30mph in the futuristic vehicle.

In a triumph for British engineering, the Greenbird - looking like a stretched missile with a giant fin - set the top speed yesterday morning on the dry bed of Lake Ivanpah on the border of California and Nevada.

The team beat the previous American-held record of 116mph, set by Bob Schumacher in the Iron Duck almost 10 years ago to the day at the same location.

The fifth-generation Greenbird, which Jenkins designed and built on his 10-year quest to beat the record, uses a combination of technology normally found in aircraft and Formula 1 cars.

Under the rules the vehicle must not carry any stored energy, must run on a natural surface and must start from rest with no assistance other than a human push.