Information AboutEarthrace |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT EARTHRACE | |
| renewable energy | |
| motorboat racing | |
| ships of new zealand | |
Earthrace is a 78 foot Alternative Fuel powered Wave-piercing Trimaran ; part of a project to break the world record for Circumnavigating the globe in a powerboat—and to do so using only renewable fuels. THE BOAT The boat's engines are powered completely by a Biodiesel fuel source. This fuel is derived mainly from animal fat, soybeans, or other forms of biodiesel fuel. The powerboat itself is a 78-foot dramatic-looking Wave-piercing Trimaran , designed by Craig Loomes Design Group Ltd, with two 540 hp Cummins Mercruiser diesel engines, fueled with 100% Biodiesel , and is made mostly of carbon composite. It cost $1.25 million, which was mostly funded by generous sponsors. When asked, "Regrets about the cost of it all?" Pete Bethune replied "No...You know, I do have the coolest boat in the world."1 THE MISSION Led by New Zealander Pete Bethune , Earthrace intended to showcase environmentally friendly technologies such as low-emission engines, non-toxic antifouling and efficient hull design. The boat pierces waves instead of riding on top of them, which both results in a smoother ride and allows the boat to run at high speeds, even in rough seas. The current record of 74 days, 20 hours, 58 minutes was set by British boat " Cable & Wireless " in 1998 . Earthrace made its first voyage on February 24 2006 and planned to begin the record attempt trip on March 1 , 2007 . THE RECORD ATTEMPT The attempt originally departed from , 2007 , while around 22km offshore from Guatemala , Earthrace collided with a local fishing boat. No Earthrace crew were hurt, but one of the three crew members from the fishing boat was killed. Earthrace chief in court over tragedy , , the team decided to "restart" with this new start/finish line. They departed San Diego on 7 April 2007 and needed to return by 21 June to break the record. However, the attempt was abandoned on 31 May 2007 after a crack was discovered in the hull shortly after leaving Malaga , Spain . Earthrace Forced to Abandon Record Attempt , May 31, 2007 Press release EXTERNAL LINKS REFERENCES |
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