earthrace

Earthrace Boat Sets New Record

I've been a fan of the Earthrace boat since before I finally got to climb aboard back in 2006 so I'm particularly pleased that the biodiesel-powered trimaran and her crew set a record fastest circumnavigation of the globe by speedboat recently. The boat raced around the globe in just 60 days, 23 hours and 49 minutes which means they beat the old record by 13 days, 21 hours and 9 minutes. This was the second attempt by New Zealand skipper Pete Bethune who had to give up his first last year after a bunch of problems that included a pirate attack and a collision with a fishing boat. Congratulations to Bethune and his crew.

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Tags: biodiesel, earthrace, earthrace-biodiesel, trimaran

Aboard the Earthrace Yacht

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing

I first wrote about the Earthrace biodiesel boat last year and ever since I have been following the project so when I found out that the boat was making a United States tour I had to check her out. The Earthrace boat is a wavepiercing trimaran that runs on biodiesel fuel. The plan is to have the Earthrace break the world record for circumnavigating the globe in a powerboat, and using only renewable fuels. They are currently involved in an 18-month tour raising awareness about sustainable use of resources before the attempting to break the 75-day record next March. The Earthrace crew is hoping to complete the journey in less than 65 days. The Earthrace boat hits a top speed of 40 knots and the unique design lets her smash through the waves (up to 24 feet high according to one crew member I talked with).

At the Lido Yacht Expo in Newport Beach, California the Earthrace was definitely attracting attention even among the gleaming white luxury yachts on display (more on those later in the day). Unlike other boats at the show where you just take off your shoes and climb aboard, the Earthrace crew was charging $5 a pop (to help fund the project). And unlike other boats, this one wasn't for sale. As I checked out the boat I heard one little girl say to her mother, "Mommy, this boat smells. No one is going to buy this boat." It definitely did have a college-dorm funk to it but the New Zealand-based crew seemed to be in high spirits. After the jump, some more shots of the Earthrace including the tight quarters of the interior.

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Tags: biodiesel, boat, earthrace, marine, ocean, water, yacht

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