sail-world.com -- Earthrace attempt delayed by EU Customs

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Earthrace attempt delayed by EU Customs

The 78 foot wave piercing powered catamaran Earthrace is preparing for its second attempt on the Round the World record. The attempt start date was scheduled for March 29th but has been delayed. A shipment of the Spanish supplied 100% biofuel that needs to be in several of the refueling stops around the world ready for Earthrace to arrive, has been delayed by EU customs, forcing the team to delay their record attempt. The revised date for the start, which will still be in Spain, has been rescheduled to take place in approximately three weeks time.

Circumnavigating the globe represents the pinnacle of powerboat challenges, and at more than 24,000 nautical miles is the world’s longest speed challenge. The current record holder is British boat ‘Cable and Wireless Adventurer’ who took the record in a time of 75 days in 1998. One the first of June last year the biodiesel powered trimaran Earthrace has abandoned her first round the world record attempt. Fueled entirely on 100% biodiesel and with a net zero carbon footprint, Earthrace is a showcase of environmentally friendly technologies such as low-emissions engines, non-toxic anti-foul (underwater paint) and an extremely fuel efficient hull design. From the start in Valencia, the boat will cross the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans and travel through the Panama and Suez Canals as it thunders around the planet’s circumference at a maximum speed of 40 knots.