The biodiesel-powered Earthrace superboat will not set a round-the-world record. Last Sunday while traveling near the coast of Guatemala at night, the radical 78-foot Earthrace boat collided with a small fiberglass fishing boat. The Earthrace boat was basically unscathed except for prop damage but the fishing boat was demolished. The Earthrace crew managed to pull two injured fisherman out of the water but couldn't find a third. The Earthrace boat limped into a Guatemalan port where officials have not let the crew leave, even though repairs have been made. Court appearances have been postponed three times. The captain's blog has been very detailed in the accident and days in port. Captain Pete Bethune, who hails from New Zealand, was not at the wheel of Earthrace when the accident happened. An engineer was driving and he told the skipper that the fishing boat may not have had the proper lighting. That engineer has left the team, and the team has posted a want ad for a replacement. Earthrace had been slowed early in the run with prop problems. According to Bethune's blog, his insurance company has settled with the dead man's family. Now it may be only a question of whether any of the crew, which includes an American, will have to face criminal charges.

[Source: stuff.co.nz]

The first Earthrace attempt ended in defeat back in April. The idea was to circle the globe on a biodiesel-powered boat, but there were just too many problems (and one deadly accident). But, the idea - and boat - are just too cool to be sent into history without a second chance, so the New Zealand team will try again in 2008, trying to beat the circumnavigation record of 74 days, 20 hours and 58 minutes. And, with a little special help from the captain, the second time just might be the charm.

The plan is to set sail from from Valencia, Spain at the beginning of March and "traverse the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans as well as the Panama and Suez canals in its more-than-24,000-nautical-mile journey," according to Fox News. That's similar to the plan from last time. What's new? How about a little bit of fat taken from the captain and turned into biodiesel? The Fox article says:

He [Pete Bethune] also made a symbolic gesture towards the project, undergoing liposuction with two other volunteers, which produced 10 liters - a bit more than 2 1/2 gallons - of human fat, enough to power the boat for 8 nautical miles.

That'll help. For the entire carbon-neutral trip, the Earthrace will need 165,000 liters of biodiesel. Anyone want to donate?

[Source: Fox News via Domestic Fuel]

I wish them success.

Herald