Earthrace may take on Japanese whalers

10:05 PM Tue 26 May 2009 GMT

'Earthrace (Photo Peter Faretra)' Earthrace Media Click Here to view large photo

Japanese whaling ships in the southern ocean could see the amazing 78 foot biodiesel fueled trimaran Earthrace in the next whaling season.

New Zealand seafarer Pete Bethune and his world record-setting boat Earthrace could become part of environmental organisation Sea Shepherd's fleet battling the whalers in the Southern Ocean after Earthrace finishes its world tour in Hamilton in three weeks.

'That's the most likely scenario but it's not 100 per cent yet,' he told the Taranaki Daily News in New Plymouth yesterday. 'To go down there would be pretty cool.'

Sea Shepherd has become well known in recent years for its skirmishes with Japanese whaling ships. Last year, its boat Steve Irwin chased the whaling fleet for more than 3000 kilometres, and the organisation claimed to have saved the lives of 305 whales.

For the past three years, Bethune and Earthrace have been fighting a different environmental battle promoting the use of sustainable biofuel. Last year, the 100 per cent biofuel-powered wave-piercing trimaran smashed the round the world speed record, knocking almost two weeks off the old record with a time of 60 days, 23 hours and 49 minutes.

During that epic voyage Powerboat-world.com received daily sat phone reports from Bethune and if he heads south we expect we will hear from Bethune on a regular basis again.

'I've lived the dream on this boat,' Bethune said. 'I've had the best times of my life on this boat and the worst times of my life.'I've been treated like a king and treated like a pauper.'

Bethune and Earthrace hit the headlines when they were detained in Guatemala after an accident killed a local fisherman, but he said other standout memories included wakeboarding on Loch Ness, diving in the Pacific and Caribbean, surviving more than a dozen storms at sea and brushes with Colombian pirates.

'Would I do it again? I would,' he said. 'To get to work on something you really believe in most of us go through life without any chance to do that.'

But Bethune said the world tour following the record-setting voyage became much bigger than he had expected and had come at the cost of time with his family.

Now he's looking forward to a break and says joining the Sea Shepherd fleet would not be as demanding on his time. 'It's hit and run 10 weeks and it's all over, not three years like this has been.'

A combination of leightweight carbon fibre contruction and twin 540hp Cummins Mercruiser engines means that Earthrace has a burst speed of 45 knots, she averaged around 22 knots for much of her round the world speed record and unlike Sea Shepherd Earthrace can outrun the Whaling fleet, that would mean that Sea Shepherd woould know the location of the wahling fleet and be able to impeding their activities.

The full story can be read at www.stuff.co.nz/environment/2443102/Earthrace-may-take-on-whalers/

by Ryan Evans - Taranaki Daily News & Powerboat-world

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