Eco-friendly boat smashes world record

An environmentally-friendly powerboat has smashed the round-the-world speed record by two weeks.

Earthrace crossed the finishing line in Spain on Friday after a voyage lasting just 60 days, 23 hours, and 49 minutes. The previous record for a powerboat, set in 1998, was just under 75 days.

Skipper Pete Bethune, from New Zealand, sold his home and business to build the sustainable, biofuel-powered boat in an attempt to prove that being green did not mean compromising on performance or appearance (see related story).

He said: “We’re completely stoked to have achieved something so incredible. Earthrace’s success has proved that any form of transport, including marine, can be non-damaging to the environment as well as being high performance.”

Kate Martin