Eco Boat Earthrace one year on...world record confirmed and Sea Shepherd link

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) June 28, 2009 -- 27 June 2009

Eco Boat Earthrace gets official recognition of round the world speed record as plans are announced to join Sea Shepherd whaling protest

• Earthrace finally awarded official UIM world record one year on

• Skipper Pete Bethune calls for legislation on conventional marine fuel

• Earthrace will join Sea Shepherd as part of whaling protest in Antarctic in December

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Eco Boat Earthrace one year on...world record confirmed and Sea Shepherd link

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http://www.earthrace.net

Exactly one year on from the 100% biofuel eco-boat, Earthrace, crossing the finish line in Spain on 27 June 2008, her international crew of volunteers have been officially named as world record holders by the Union International Motonautique (UIM).

The worldwide governing body for powerboating have confirmed that the team did break the ten year old round the world speed record previously held by British boat, Cable & Wireless Adventurer, smashing the record by almost two weeks.

The wave-piercing trimaran began the challenge from Sagunto, Spain on 27 April 2008. She travelled 23, 497 nautical miles, through the Panama and Suez Canals, with ten other refuelling stops around the world. The journey, fuelled entirely by 100% biofuel and skippered by Earthrace founder, New Zealander, Pete Bethune, took 60 days 23 hours 49 mins (1,463 hours, 49 minutes) finishing back in Spain.

Pete Bethune said, “Obviously we’re over the moon. It’s great to finally get the official recognition. My goal in starting this project five years ago was to make a positive impact on the environment by increasing awareness of renewable fuels. We have shown that a marine craft using 100% biofuel can travel as fast and efficiently across the oceans as anything using conventional fuels.

“It’s about time governments and the global shipping industry put in as much effort as we have by funding further research into sustainable biofuel production and bringing in legislation that will ensure our oceans and seas are protected from the damage caused by conventional fuels.”

At the same time as the announcement from the UIM, skipper Pete Bethune has revealed that the next stop for Earthrace will be the Antarctic ocean as the boat plans to join the Sea Shepherd organisation in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary in December as part of the protest against Japanese whaling fleet.

New Zealander Bethune said he decided to become involved because "this is happening in my backyard and it really pisses me off. I'm going to make a stand alongside Sea Shepherd – the whaling fleet will find it hard to get away from us."

He said he planned to add half a tonne of Kevlar to the vessel to toughen it against the ice. Earthrace has been built to have the endurance to go half way round the world on one tank of fuel.

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Media notes

• Official world record status confirmed at: http://www.uimpowerboating.com/vsite/vnavsite/page/directory/0,10853,4916-151354-168570-nav-list,00.html (record no: 3701)

• Further details, including high res photos, broll footage, and highlights from the global circumnavigation, are available from http://www.earthrace.net/index.php?section=2

• International press contacts:
Nick Warren/ Nick Murray-Leslie
Chatsworth Communications
Tel: +44 20 7681 4070

Email: contact@chatsworthcommunications.com

• Earthrace Head of Media, Beverley Bailey
E: bev@earthrace.net
T: +44 (0) 208 870 4301
M: +44 (0) 7711 482 572

World record crew
Earthrace is run as a not for profit project with a team of international volunteers.
The boat crew for the world record were skipper, Pete Bethune (New Zealand); navigator Adam Carlson (Sweden); Engineer Mark Russell (UK) and cameraman Rob Drewitt (UK).

The ground crew, who travelled ahead of the boat to prepare each race stop, was headed up by CEO, Fiona Clark (UK) with head of operations, Adrian Erangey (Ireland) and chief engineer, Tino de Freitas (Guyana). Base crew were Bev Bailey (UK), Alison Bradshaw (UK), Sharyn Bethune (NZ) and Karolina Romanic (Hungary).

More information can be found online at http://www.earthrace.net

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