Biodiesel Boat Abandons Record Chase
A 100% biodiesel-fueled boat has had to give up its quest to break a world record for racing around the world. According to this story posted on C/Net.com, the captain of the Earthrace says it would be impossible to break the 75-day record set in 1998 by a group of British sailors in a regular diesel boat:
TV 3 in New Zealand reports that Pete Bethune, captain of the Earthrace, has conceded that it will be impossible to beat the record.
The Earthrace, a boat that runs on biodiesel and employs other green technologies, launched on March 10 from Barbados. Since then, it has been plagued by mechanical problems and also got delayed by a wreck in Central America. For the past several days, the boat has been stuck in Palau foraging for parts.
“Even if we had a perfect run from here, there’s no way we’d get the record by Barbados,” Bethune, who is from New Zealand, wrote in his blog. Bethune’s last post was April 26, on the early side of the International Date Line. The TV 3 story was posted April 27, New Zealand time.
Some biodiesel refiners had been providing fuel for the Earthrace. However, the green fuel is not available in Palau where it is now stuck.
1 Comment »
David Perez
Hello World,
Just wanted to let everyone know that the world record attempt is absolutely, positively not abandoned. We have an official restart/finish line in San Diego, CA and are currently en route to Salalah, Oman doing good time.
Please visit our website for updates on the race and thanks for your continued support … we here at Earthrace believe failure is not an option and with your help, we are determined to fight our way to a victorious end !
Cheers,
David Perez
Earthrace Ground Crew
Race Leg Sponsorship
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