Earthrace readies to set sail again
Posted By RichC on December 20, 2007
Earthrace, the 78 foot biodiesel powered wave-piecing boat, will attempt another run at the world record in circumnavigating around the world. Skipper Pete Bethune of New Zealand and his crew have reworked the boat after several glitches left them stranded in Europe last spring. (see posts) The next start for the Earthrace Project will take place on March 1, 2008 from Valencia, Spain. The Earthrace crew will head across the Atlantic, through the Panama Canal, then Pacific, Indian Ocean and Suez Canal finishing up 24,000 miles back in Spain. The current record to beat is 74 days, 20 hours and 58 minutes.
To promote biodiesel as an alternative to petroleum diesel, the Earthrace boat will run on 100% biodiesel made from a variety of feedstocks, including about 2-1/2 gallons of human fat donated by the captain himself and two other volunteers through liposuction. (a bit over the top, if you ask me?)
Here is a photo set posted to Flickr earlier in the year by my friend Paul Kraus, who’s dad worked the leg across the Pacific last year.
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