Although New Zealander Pete Bethune's past attempts to circumnavigate the globe in a boat have met with failures and disasters, he still hasn't lost hope. He plans to embark on yet another journey to go around the world with his crew. But what makes his efforts different from the rest is that he plans on using human fat to power his boat. He and two other Earthrace crew members underwent liposuction and gathered around 2.5 gallons of fat from their bodies, which produced almost two gallons of fuel (enough to go 9 miles under optimum conditions). The group plans to go around the globe in 65 days at an average of 23 to 29 mph. The current record for circumnavigating the globe is 74 days and 20 hours and 58 minutes, set in 1998 by the British vessel Cable and Wireless Adventurer. Their 78-foot-long boat - Earthrace is fueled entirely with biodiesel and Bethune says it emits 78 percent less pollution than conventional diesel vessels. The vessel is powered by two 540 horsepower Cummins Mercruiser engines and cost almost $3 million to build. Craig Loomes Design designed the trimaran around a needle-like wave piercing hull. This allows Earthrace to slice through waves and can be submerged under 21 feet of water rather than sailing over them.

Earthrace is said to be the world's fastest eco-friendly boat, and Pete Bethune says the team will buy carbon offsets to give the vessel a zero net carbon footprint. Non-toxic wax-based paint, composite materials derived from hemp and lubricants refined from canola oil further improve its eco-friendliness. If Earthrace breaks the record, it will be the first time a record recognized by the Union Internationale Motonautique - the international sanctioning body for powerboat records - has been set by an alternative fuel vessel.

Source