The fastest relativistic jets:: VLBA observations of blazars with apparent speeds exceeding 25c

We have measured peak apparent speeds of 25.6c +/- 7.0c, 25.6c +/- 4.4c, and 28.2c +/- 6.6c in the jets of 0235+164, 0827+243, and 1406-076, respectively, based on six epochs of high-sensitivity VLBA observations at 22 and 43 GHz during 2002 and 2003 (H-0 = 71 km s(-1) Mpc(-1), Omega(m) = 0.27, and Omega(Lambda) = 0.73). These blazars had been identified as potentially having apparent speeds exceeding 40c in an earlier VLBA survey of EGRET blazars by Jorstad and coworkers. We therefore confirm ( with high confidence in 0827+243, and lower confidence in 0235+164 and 1406-076) the presence of highly relativistic pattern speeds in these three jets, although not at the > 40c levels reported by Jorstad and coworkers. The lower limit to the bulk Lorentz factor implied by the observed apparent speeds is Gamma greater than or similar to 25-30 in these three sources, if the pattern speeds are equal to or slower than the bulk flow speed.