Lap Of The World

The Age

Saturday January 17, 2009

Steve Colquhoun

BOATS aren't a frequent sighting in Drive but we couldn't pass up this opportunity to salute a world record-breaker on the cusp of its visit to Melbourne.

Earthrace is probably the most distinctive boat in the world today - not just because of its futuristic trimaran shape but also because it runs solely on bio-fuel and is 100percent carbon-neutral, something to which the car industry should pay attention.

Using this environmentally friendly fuel source, the 24-metre waverider smashed the world record for the fastest circumnavigation of the globe by more than two weeks, completing the 24,000nautical mile journey in 60 days, 23 hours and 49 minutes.

Along the way, skipper Pete Bethune and his volunteer crew encountered fierce storms, were lashed by 12-metre waves and were fired upon by Colombian pirates. They even spent nine days in a military camp in Guatemala.

"We've had a few things that have scared us," Bethune says.

Earthrace now tours from port to port, opening to the public to spread the word about environmental sustainability. Along the way the team rates the environmental sustainability of the port cities they visit and Australia has so far fared poorly.

"You guys have got a lot to learn and so does New Zealand," the New Zealand-born skipper says.

Earthrace will berth at Melbourne's Docklands precinct from Wednesday until Friday this week, returning for the Melbourne Boat Show from Wednesday, January 28, until Sunday, February 1.

-- STEVE COLQUHOUN

© 2009 The Age

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