Biodiesel Speed Boat to Go For Record Once More

By Gregory Mone Posted 12.27.2007 at 11:56 am 3 Comments

Earthrace, the environmentally-friendly speedboat that recently abandoned two attempts to break the round-the-world speed record, has just announced plans to go for it again. The boat, designed and developed by a former oil industry engineer turned environmentalist, runs completely on biodiesel and should have a net zero carbon footprint. A wave-piercing, trimaran hull design helps it slice through the water. And if the swells get too big? Supposedly the boat has the ability to duck through the waves instead of rolling over them.

As we noted previously, though, the first attempt ended in tragedy. And the second didn't go so well, either: the crew discovered a crack in the hull and had to end the trip early.

Now the team will set out once more, this time from Valencia, Spain in March.—Gregory Mone

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3 Comments

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popsci

12/28/07 at 1:49 am

This time they're going to try and kill all three people in a fishing boat!

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wneilmorgan

01/26/08 at 12:23 am

Not too funny about the fishing boat accident..

These people are great, and trying to do a great thing! Follow their journey at their website, earthrace.net.

I met them before their first attempt in Wilmington, NC and it was really amazing seeing the boat/taking a ride & checking out Leroy (their stateside ground vehicle/van).

Its pretty wild how little space there is on the boat to be traveling around the entire world once, let alone for over a year.. Go Pete Go!

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wneilmorgan

01/26/08 at 12:26 am

The most important thing about this boat...I ended up buying a Diesel Mercedes and am now converting it to run on Vege Oil because I ended up being so interested in biodiesel & how its made.