May 31, 2007 — Earthrace, a wave-slicing speedboat fueled by recycled vegetable oil, has given up its bid to set a new record for circumnavigating the globe, a journey intended to raise awareness for alternative energy technologies.
The race, which began in Barbados on March 10, quickly evolved into a story of endurance, patience and resourcefulness as the all-volunteer team handled a series of technical problems and misfortunes, including running over a fishing boat in Guatemala that left one man dead.
The race clock was reset in San Diego on April 7, wiping out the delays tied to the accident investigation and engine work to repair damage sustained in the collision. The team had hoped to beat a 75-day record set in 1998 by a boat called Cable & Wireless.
By Wednesday night, however, about halfway thru the second bid, the race was called off, with the boat itself damaged and taking on water, project spokeswoman Devann Yata told Discovery News.
"The boat has a crack in it and needs to be taken out of the water for repairs," she said.
The latest problems began shortly after Earthrace left Malaga, Spain. It was heading toward a refueling stop in the Canary Islands before beginning the long trans-Atlantic crossing. But the ship reversed course and headed back to Malaga, too damaged from its Mediterranean cruise to continue.
The 78-foot, tri-hulled ship, which is designed to cut through waves, will be repaired and then taken to Europe to begin a promotional tour, Yata said.
