The 'world's fastest man on water' Ken Warby dies four decades after breaking record speed of 511km/h by strapping a FIGHTER JET engine onto the back of his speedboat

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Australian powerboating legend Ken Warby has died at the age of 83 after a short battle with illness.

Warby is best remembered for being 'the fastest man on water' after achieving a world record speed in his boat Spirit of Australia - which he designed and built in his backyard - which set a world record speed of 463km/h in 1977.

He returned to Blowering Dam in southern New South Wales the following year and recorded a speed of 511km/h. The boat had a fighter jet engine attached to it. 

That effort remains the Unlimited World Water Speed Record, and Warby remains the only person to ever design, build and drive a boat to an unlimited speed record.

In 1978, he was made an MBE for his service to powerboating and became one of the first 200 inductees into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame. 

Powerboating legend Ken Warby has died at the age of 83, it has been confirmed

The Australian is best known for setting the world's fastest speed on water

He and his son David were in the process of building Spirit of Australia II

Warby also raced cars, dragsters and trucks on tracks in Australia and the United States. He was recently building a new boat - Spirit of Australia II - with his son David. 

Most recently, he was building a new boat, Spirit of Australia II, alongside his son David.

'Ken will be greatly missed by his family and Team Warby Motorsport,' a representative said in a statement.

'His knowledge and Australian sense of humour can never be replaced.'