Biodiesel Powerboat Supporting Sound of Many Waters Welcomes Visitor
The amazing looking revolutionary biodiesel powerboat Earthrace has arrived in Bristol Docks early this morning (October 8) to support Sound of Many Waters - Clifton Cathedral’s year-long exploration of our need to care for the environment. Three Bristol Catholic primary schools enjoyed an exclusive visit to the batmobile-type boat.
Children from Eco-schools green flag award-winning St Teresa’s Catholic Primary from Monks Park together with pupils from SS Peter & Paul Catholic Primary in Cotham and St Patrick’s in Redfield boarded the amazing Earthrace for a behind the scenes tour. They also and enjoyed hearing Skipper Pete Bethune recount seafaring tales as well as why it’s important to care for the earth.
Earthrace is moored on the dockside at Prince Street next to the Arnolfini and is open to the public from around 10.30 am to 7.00 pm on Monday 8 and Tuesday 9 October. All are welcome to come and meet the crew and board the boat for a donation of £3.00 for adults and £2.00 pounds for children.
Looking more like something from another planet than a boat, the 24 metre wave-piercing trimaran is undertaking a 50 city tour around Europe to promote awareness and use of alternative fuels such as biodiesel. The visit to Bristol is sponsored by Jurys Bristol Hotel.
Adrian Erangey Earthrace Operations Manager, said:
“It’s great coming to Bristol and linking-up with Sound of Many Waters. Both Earthrace and Sound of Many Waters are focused on the care of our world. We’re both using innovative ideas to raise awareness and promote the need to take care of what is so unique and precious.”
Earthrace is currently the highest-profile powerboat in the world, as well as one of the greenest. It is a showcase of environmentally friendly technologies, including low-emission engines, non-toxic antifoul and efficient hull design, and runs on 100% biodiesel (B100).
Mary Colwell, the Clifton Cathedral parishioner and inspiration behind Sound of Many Waters said:
“Sound of Many Waters is Clifton Cathedral’s year-long exploration of our need to care for our environment. The celebrations draw on Catholic teachings, insights and networks - and are open to everyone. Sound of Many Waters was launched on Saturday, September 29th by the Bishop of Clifton, Declan Lang, who is the recently-appointed Bishop for Environmental Justice for the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. We’ve got many unique events in the next twelve months and it’s great that Earthrace can help us get them underway.”
Earthrace is ultimately seeking to break the world record for circumnavigation of the globe by a powerboat – and do this using only renewal fuel. The present record is 75 days, set in 1998 by the British powerboat Cable & Wireless. At over 24,000 nautical miles, a circumnavigation of the globe is the world’s longest race - and represents the pinnacle of powerboat challenges.
Earthrace will begin its record attempt in March 2008, and Earthrace Skipper Pete Bethune believes Earthrace has a realistic chance of completing the circumnavigation in 65 days or less. He said:
“Smashing the record by 10 days or more is certainly feasible, although we will still be popping champagne corks if we make it in 74 and a half days.”
Pete Bethune believes Earthrace has a great opportunity to nourish and grow the European biodiesel industry, as well as to advance biodiesel as a genuinely viable alternative to petroleum diesel. He said:
“The vision of a world using fuel produced from sustainable sources is an idea whose time has come. By demonstrating the power, reliability and environmental safety of biodiesel, Earthrace is committed to transforming this vision into reality.”
To find out more about the Earthrace project and her mission to race around the world for a better planet at www.earthrace.net.
