Earthrace in new battle against Japanese whalers

Earthrace, the biofuel powerboat that holds the world record for circumnavigating the globe, is being used by the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) in its battle against the controversial practice of killing whales.

The 24-metre trimaran, which has been renamed Ady Gil, will embark on a three-month voyage into the Antarctic Ocean where it will be used as a stealth boat to creep up on Japanese whalers.

The trimaran is a wave piercer capable of doing up to 40 knots and of travelling up to 23ft under water.

The plan is to use the boat, alongside another SSCS ship, Steve Irwin, as an interceptor to obstruct the slaughter of whales, an issue that New Zealand skipper, Pete Bethune, feels strongly about.

Bethune told the Metro, "This is happening in my backyard and it really pisses me off. I'm going to make a stand."

Bethune also has plans for other future marine conservation projects, including tackling illegal shark finning in the Galapagos and disrupting bluefin tuna poachers in the Med.