Biodiesel boat to make speed bid

The Earthrace powerboat runs on biodiesel

A powerboat, fuelled by biodiesel, has anchored in Edinburgh before attempting a new speed record for circumnavigating the globe.

The Earthrace powerboat, which is docked behind Ocean Terminal, is open to the public over the weekend.

The boat is on an 18-month promotional tour to 40 cities, before the world record attempt from Spain in March.

It runs on biodiesel, which is renewable fuel made from vegetable oils and animal fat.

We've had five metres of water on top of the windshield while we have been submarining through 12 metre waves and there is hardly a boat in the world that can handle conditions like that Pete Bethune Earthrace skipper

The current record of 75 days was set by British boat Cable & Wireless in 1998 and the Earthrace skipper Pete Bethune believes they can do it in 65 days.

He said: "The boat is a wave piercer, which means it submarines through waves to make it faster.

"We've had five metres of water on top of the windshield while we have been submarining through 12 metre waves and there is hardly a boat in the world that can handle conditions like that.

"In a normal boat on a wave while travelling fast you tend to get airborne before we come crashing down which is not good on the boat or the crew.

He added: "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."

The boat is open to the public for a small donation from 1000 BST until 1600 BST on Friday and from 1000 BST on Saturday and Sunday until 1900 BST.