Biofuel powerboat

As many people may already be aware, The fastest eco boat on the planet is attempting to break the round the world speed record using Bio fuel, and with a net zero carbon-footprint. Pete Bethune from New Zealand is the skipper of Earthrace, Bethune and his wife mortgaged their house and sold everything they own to help make this project happen, while continuing to seek support from sponsors. Demonstrating further commitment to the cause, Bethune underwent liposuction and donated enough to produce 100ml of biofuel, while two other, larger volunteers also had the procedure, making a total of 10 liters of human fat, This in turn produced seven liters of biofuel, which could help the boat travel about 15km.

Earthrace is a 78 foot alternative fuel powered wave-piercing trimaran, it can carry 3,000 gallons of fuel, and weighs 23 tonnes when fully fueled, Earthrace is powered by twin Cummins QSC 540 diesel engines with propellers pitched for the record attempt. The boat reaches speeds at around 25 knots. At more sedate passage making speeds in the order of 15 knots, the boat will have sufficient range for large stretches of open ocean involving up to 2500 nautical miles between refueling stops - the slender central hull and tuned sponsons offering excellent fuel efficiency.

Circumnavigating the globe represents the pinnacle of powerboat challenges, and more than 24,000 nautical miles is the world's longest speed challenge.
The current record holder is British boat Cable and Wireless Adventurer which took 75 days in 1998.

The boat is designed to cut through waves rather than sail over which enables the boat to go faster through big seas compared to conventional craft.

At the moment the world record attempt has slowed dramatically as it battles rugged weather on the leg from India to the Arabian Peninsula.

Earthrace refuelled at the weekend in Kochi, on the west coast of India, but managed just 414km in her first 24 hours, and is now travelling at only 20km/h.

It is travelling 2600km to Salalah in the sultanate of Oman, where it is expected to arrive late on Wednesday or early Thursday, then on to Port Said in Suez.

New Zealand skipper Pete Bethune said on his website that he was trying to avoid hull damage in confused and lumpy seas and deteriorating conditions.