WHILE most kids in Devonport were learning to drive as teenagers, Georgia Palmer was in her speed boat learning to break records.
The 18-year-old is officially the fastest woman on water in Tasmania and the youngest female in Australia to crack 100 miles per hour (160.9km/h).
She clocked 105.8m/h (170.2km/h) in her second attempt in the six-litre speedboat at Horsehead Creek yesterday.
She is now the fourth Palmer to achieve the 100m/h feature and was presented with her grandfather’s beloved and prestigious ‘100m/h jumper’, as a sign of her achievement.
Following her success, Ms Palmer said she has had a need for speed since she could remember.
‘‘I’ve raced in the juniors since I was eight and I started racing in this boat when I was 16,’’ she said.
Ms Palmer said she had set her sights on reaching 110m/h (177km/h) prior to yesterday’s event – a speed achieved by a friend in Melbourne earlier this year.
While she didn’t quite reach the 110m/h, she was looking forward to having another attempt in May next year.
‘‘I just wanted to go faster than what he did,’’ Ms Palmer said.
‘‘I just wanted to beat his speed. Hopefully I beat him.’’
Her father, Chris Palmer, has no doubt she will smash her friend’s speed next time she hits the water.
‘‘She’s a good driver and she listens to what I say, I’ve got no worries with the driving, we just make sure the boat goes well,’’ he said.
‘‘She’s got a race meeting in a couple of weeks. Then, at the end of the year, the Wayne Cross Memorial.
‘‘She’s stepping up with the bigger boys now.’’