Will Earthrace become a Whale-saver?

by Powerboat-world.com on 19 Apr 2009 The next challenge for the bio-diesel fuelled 78 foot trimaran wave piercer Earthrace could be helping to save whales in Antarctica.

In June, 2008, ‘Earthrace’, with owner/skipper Pete Bethune and a volunteer crew circled the globe in 60 days, 23 hours and 49 minutes, slashing the previous record for a powerboat by an astonishing two weeks! During the long ocean legs Earthrace with a six tonne biofuel load powered up to 2,000 miles at 20 knots.

Bethune now has the New Zealand designed and built boat on the market for $1.5 million and its currently on a final tour of New Zealand after last year world record.

Powered by two 540-horsepower Cummins engines have a short range cruising speed of 30 knots and a top speed of 40 knots.

Earthrace could have a new future as a secret strike weapon against Japanese whalers in the Southern Oceans if the Kiwi skipper has his way.

Bethune says he is negotiating with anti-whaling campaigner Sea Shepherd Conservation Society to use Earthrace as a 'strike vessel' based around its sturdy but slow ship Steve Irwin.

'The Steve Irwin can only do 16 knots [30kmh], so they can hassle the whalers for a while, and then they move on. If you had Earthrace, you could hassle them all the time.'