Earthrace Biodiesel Boat Circumnavigates Globe, Aims For World Speed Record
This 100% biodiesel-powered, 78 ft wave-piercing trimaran aims to set an around-the-world speed record while maintaining a net zero carbon footprint. The Earthrace left Sagunto, Spain, on April 27, and has already made excellent time across the Atlantic, landing in Panama just 8 days later.
Inspired by the desire to “connect with people about the need to get renewable fuels into our energy mix and to inspire them to do something,” the Earthrace has already generated a whirlwind of publicity. Much of this is due to the boat’s eco-technological appeal. It’s been described as “a rally car but for oceans”, with the ability to submerge up to 23 feet underwater while powering through the ocean. The “eco-” part doesn’t just include circling the globe on 100% biodiesel. Parts of the boat are made from a hemp-based composite, bedding foams are made from canola oil, and the operation’s total carbon footprint has been balanced by purchasing carbon credits.
- » See also: Biofuels Breakthrough: Making Fuel From Air With Engineered Microbes
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The Earthrace also seems to have pretty good fuel economy for a powerboat. At 6 knots, it can go 24,000 km on one tank of biodiesel, which is over halfway around the world. 6 knots is pretty slow; at a more reasonable cruising speed of 25 knots (29 mph) the powerboat can go 3700 km (2300 miles) on a single tank.
Race rules state that the voyage passes through both the Suez and Panama canals, which makes the fastest route run close to the equator. The crew will make 12 refueling stops along the way in places where biodiesel is available, hoping to beat the previous circumnavigation record of 74 days, 23 hours and 53 minutes set by UK boat ‘Cable & Wireless Adventurer’ in 1998.
This will be Earthrace’s second attempt at breaking the speed record. The team left Barbados in March of last year, but ran into significant mechanical problems that prematurely ended their trip. Let’s hope they have better luck this time.
Check out the Earthrace blog where you can follow along with the voyage. Also check out the sponsorship video (sorry about the gratuitous corporate advertising pitch, just watch the first few minutes to see what the boat looks like):
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Photo Credit: Earthrace
Carbon credits are a farce
Renewable fuels are a farce. Global warming is a farce. Biodiesel is a farce. Science has become a farce. All governments have become a farce.
Farce (n): A farce is a comedy written for the stage or film which aims to entertain the audience by means of unlikely, extravagant and improbable situations, disguise and mistaken identity, verbal humour of varying degrees of sophistication, which may include sexual innuendo and word play, and a fast-paced plot whose speed usually increases, culminating in an ending which often involves an elaborate chase scene. Farce is also characterized by physical humour, the use of deliberate absurdity or nonsense, and broadly stylized performances (wikipedia).
Do all of those criteria apply?
Interesting use of the word “farce.” It made me think of the “Three Stooges” or the current government of the United States.
However, the definition of “farce” can be directly applied to how current mainstream media is portraying “green” applications such as biofuels and other renewable energy resources. It’s portrayed as fashionable, or better yet, “misinformed” fashionable.
Until there is a convenient, efficient, cost effective, and profitable way to incorporate “green” ideology and practices in current everyday living situations of countries that would be the largest users of this technology, everything else is just a giant “show and tell” session.
I believe science is getting closer. There is definite technology that is out there. Natural gas vehicles, solar panels achieving higher efficiency percentages, biofuel producing algae, and technologies that take advantage of natural ocean currents to produce massive amounts of electricity. It goes to show what people are capable of creating.
The people who will purchase and use these technologies are already educated. Let us get on with this, already!
[...] Biodiesel Boat Circumnavigates Globe An interesting alternative fuel design that is “out there” now. I have some doubts about some of [...]
This article states that the vessel can make it nearly halfway around the world on a tank of gas, but then also says the crew will be stopping to refuel 12 times. Why would it stop 12 times when it can make the trip on 2 or 3 tanks of fuel?
The record for a round the World trip is not the Cable and Wirless vessel. Commercial vessel (container vessels) do it quicker. In 1976 I was on a vessel that did Southampton, Panama, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore, around the Cape of Good Hope and back to Southampton in 60 days.
http://www.earthracetv.net is now live & it got all the videos of some of the history leading up to the world record attempt & footage being added as the race progresses.Maybe a world first to have a site like this following histroy being made we hope?
Support the volunteers who help make this possible.
Amazing & people need to see what a mission this it is.
http://www.earthracetv.net
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