Everybody’s favorite ecologically-sound trimaran has been very busy the last few days, we catch up on its travels now –

The Earthrace eco-boat has successfully avoided delay in its attempt to beat the round the world speed record and completed its transit through the Panama Canal.

The Panama Canal Authority ensured a swift journey through the canal for Earthrace, which completed its 12 hour transit at 2030hrs on Saturday (10 May). The boat then moored at Rodman’s Dock awaiting refuelling on Sunday morning, as local licensing restrictions forbid refuelling during the night.

The intrepid crew continued through Latin America –

Earthrace is speeding up the western coast of Mexico en route to Manzanillo as it continues to gain on the current round-the-world speed record for a powerboat.

Earthrace is a 24m tri-hull wavepiercer that is currently attempting to smash the world record for a powerboat to circumnavigate the globe, running renewable biodiesel fuel, and with a net zero carbon footprint.

Skipper Pete Bethune and his crew are currently 513 nautical miles ahead of the pace set by the round-the-world record-holder, Cable and Wireless, in 1998. The crew is making up for lost time waiting for a transit through the Panama Canal at the weekend.

The team persistently pursue the Pacific with a passenger –

Earthrace, the world?s fastest eco-boat, thundered into San Diego on Friday 16 May, as it stopped for refuelling as part of its attempt to break the round-the-world speed record for a powerboat.

Skipper Pete Bethune and his crew are currently over 800 nautical miles ahead of Cable and Wireless’ decade-old record. The 24,000 nautical mile route has so far taken in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and the crew has already overcome obstacles such as missing fuel shipments and a huge backlog of traffic in the Panama Canal.

Bethune’s crew consists of a special guest member for each leg, and 36 year-old John Sheetz from San Clemente, CA, will be joining Earthrace for the San Diego to Hawaii stretch.

John Sheetz is a retired Lt. Commander in the US Navy Reserve and a former US Coast Guard. He co-founded Applied Information Technology (AIT), a company involved in developing solutions to improve environmental concerns. John was scheduled to make the Atlantic crossing with the Earthrace team in 2007, during its first world record attempt, before it was called off. He will replace Guillermo Woodward Rojas, a shipping agent from Mexico, who joined the crew at Manzanillo.

Earthrace has completed six from a baker’s dozen of stops across the planet, stay tuned to Bajan Reporter to see if they burst C&W’s ten year old record!