Earthrace: Challenging the World Record with Renewable Bio-Fuel Powerboat

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the Earthrace project, a New Zealand-based bio-fuel powerboat aiming to set a world record for circumnavigating the globe using 100% biodiesel. Participants explore the implications of using renewable fuels in high-performance applications, the publicity surrounding the project, and the broader acceptance of biofuels and diesel technology.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants highlight the potential of biodiesel to demonstrate that renewable fuels can deliver power and performance.
  • Others express skepticism about the project, questioning the environmental impact of the materials and energy used in constructing the boat.
  • There are claims that publicity stunts like Earthrace are necessary to promote biofuels and increase market acceptance.
  • Some participants argue that while biofuels are carbon neutral, the focus should be on developing a viable infrastructure for their use.
  • A few participants note that the majority of marine engines are diesel, suggesting that the acceptance of diesel in cars may not directly relate to the project.
  • Concerns are raised about the perception of biofuels and the effectiveness of publicity in changing public opinion.
  • Several participants express enthusiasm for the boat itself and the idea of seeing it in person.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus; multiple competing views remain regarding the effectiveness and implications of the Earthrace project and the use of biofuels in general.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express frustration with the focus on publicity stunts rather than practical applications of biofuels. There is also a discussion about the market acceptance of diesel and biodiesel, which remains unresolved.

  • #31
Pulled post to add the one with a photo-
 
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  • #32
I hate to post late on this but. The Steve Irwin crew needs to get their head out of their bums. They are a hazard in the ocean and need to be put in jail. Normal sailors don't get barred from ports for being nice in international waters. What these people are doing is terrorism and needs to be treated as such. I don't support the Nishin crew harvesting so many whales, but being terrorists is not going to help anything.
 
  • #33


Ivan Seeking said:
The people on the Earthrace boat claim the other boat intentionally rammed them. But they were clearly very close to the whaling boat in the first place.

seems like an obvious lie. they've got the small fast boat, the whalers have the big slow boat, and the protesters are getting close intentionally to interfere with the whaling.
 
  • #34
Earthrace fans and viewers might check out this Earthrace eulogy page. It's got some history, photos, and a eulogy.

http://www.tongacharter.com/earthrace.htm

http://www.tongacharter.com/images/earthrace/Cork-night.jpg

If anybody has any special photos or stories feel free to send them into be posted.

Scott
 
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  • #35
yachtwork said:
Earthrace fans and viewers might check out this Earthrace eulogy page. It's got some history, photos, and a eulogy.

http://www.tongacharter.com/earthrace.htm

http://www.tongacharter.com/images/earthrace/Cork-night.jpg

If anybody has any special photos or stories feel free to send them into be posted.

Scott

Hello yachtwork, and welcome to PF. You will find quite a few Earthrace fans here. :biggrin: Normally we would be obligated to delete your post as spam, but given your unique role in this project and the quality of your website [I think "cool" was the word used], we are making an exception. I assume that you are the same Scott cited as the Earthrace 2007, chief engineer; author of the webpage?

That was one very cool boat. It was a heartbreaker to see it destroyed. Was there only one built? My first thought when I saw the news video was that this might have been a second boat having the same design, but no such luck. Are there any plans to build another?
 
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  • #36
Ivan Seeking said:
Biofuels are carbon neutral; or nearly so anyway.
I was wondering about this comment (sorry, just seeing this thread for the 1st time now). Is it nearly neutral because, if you didn't burn the biomass as fuel then it would still decay and release nearly the same amount of CO2?
 
  • #37
Redbelly98 said:
I was wondering about this comment (sorry, just seeing this thread for the 1st time now). Is it nearly neutral because, if you didn't burn the biomass as fuel then it would still decay and release nearly the same amount of CO2?

Atmospheric carbon dioxide is consumed by the plant used [rape seed, soybean, cotton, palm... or best of all, algae], order to grow, and then released again when the oil from the plant is burned as a fuel. So there is no net contribution. We only get as much out as went in.

With petroleum products, we are releasing carbon that was sequestered millions of years ago - technically carbon neutral, but not so for our purposes because that carbon was safely locked away.

Oh, if you meant why NEARLY so and not completely, IIRC, there is a slight amount that is released from the soil as a function of farming practices. We also have to consider how the fuel was processed. Electrical energy was probably used to power the processing of the fuel, and petrodiesel may have been used at various times to run farming equipment.
 
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  • #38
I was wondering about both, but mostly why it is neutral rather than why not exactly neutral. Thank you.
 

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