Earthrace is one remakable boat. Dreamed up by New Zealander Peter Bethune, the wave-piercing trimaran will attempt to break the world powerboat record for circumnavigating the globe, using only 100 per cent renewable fuels.
Mr Bethune claims the hull design is the key to breaking the record, as it allows the boat to pierce through waves instead of riding over them. This means it can run at its top speed of 50kts (90km/h) under rough sea conditions.
The boat is fuelled by biodiesel, a renewable fuel produced from such crops as canola and rape. The boat's 10,000 litre fuel tank gives a cruise of 5500km before having to refuel.
The Earthrace team plan to complete the 44,450km circumnavigation attempt in 65 days – shaving ten days off the current record set by British boat Cable & Wireless in 1998.
The team has already completed a tour around New Zealand, which was not without challenges.
While ferries and planes were grounded in 60kt (110km/h) winds at Cook Straight, the team headed out to face waves 8m to 12m high.
"Now, this was daunting. Twelve-metre waves are enormous and they scare the hell out of you. We had about 90 minutes directly into these and the performance of Earthrace was unbelievable," Mr Bethune said in a press release.
When slicing through the bigger waves the windscreen would turn blue, showing clear water.
"It was an unbelievable sight," he said. "You could see the far edge of the wave a few metres away come rolling in and over you."
Earthrace's 18-month tour is aimed at promoting the benefits of renewable fuels and will visit 60 major cities around the globe.
The boat is currently on its way to Samoa and will continue on to North America to begin the circumnavigation attempt.
Earthrace will then return to tour Australia in mid 2007.
For more information and to read the Captain's Blog, see the Earthrace homepage.
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