Branson eyed as sponsor for new Earthrace bid

British entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson may back New Zealand's Earthrace powerboat in its second bid to break the world record for circumnavigating the globe running on biodiesel.

Sir Richard took a 45-minute trip aboard Earthrace last week from St Catherine's Dock, on the Thames, to Chelsea Harbour.

As he stepped ashore, he told the BBC: "'We're certainly looking at this as a possible project to get involved in and fund - it's extremely worthwhile.

"I'm a big supporter of biofuels and I think it's important to raise awareness of how efficient they are."

Some commentators have suggested this will lead to sponsorship by Sir Richard's Virgin companies, but the New Zealand connections of the boat said no deal was yet in place.

Sir Richard, who is renowned for his social campaigning, recently visited New Zealand and while here discussed with Energy Minister David Parker the issue of biofuels for airlines.

Mr Parker, who is in charge of the Government's climate change policy, said he had asked for the meeting to discuss how New Zealand could help the world fight climate change.

"Sir Richard has made a bold and visionary commitment to the challenge of tackling climate change," he said. "I am providing him with information on some of the world-leading biofuels research and development being undertaken by New Zealand companies."

Mr Parker said Sir Richard had pledged to spend $NZ4.5 billion from his rail and airline profits over the next 10 years on projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including biofuels research.

A big global sponsor would relieve some of the problems encountered by Earthrace organisers on their first round-the-world record attempt, which was abandoned on June 1 after a series of logistical problems - partly due to poor planning – and some mishaps.

Earthrace had left Barbados on March 10, wore out a set of propellers on the first leg to the Panama Canal, and lost a second set in a fatal collision with an unlit fishing boat off the Guatemalan coast.

The crew also lost 10 days' running time when they were detained and investigated before being cleared of legal liability.

Earthrace restarted the record attempt on April 7, from San Diego, California and but was stranded in the remote western Pacific at Palau – nearly 6500km north of New Zealand – for eight days, rebuilding a cylinder in its starboard engine.

Though the crew had to fill up with conventional diesel when they could not afford to ship biodiesel to Palau, the boat then arrived in Singapore only 74km behind the pace needed to set a new record.

But it was unable to get back to San Diego to beat the 75 days, set by the British boat Cable & Wireless in 1998, because soon after leaving Malaga, in Spain, structural damage from earlier heavy seas in the Mediterranean left the 24m trimaran unable to continue.

Since then skipper Pete Bethune has been increasing awareness in Europe of environmentally friendly biofuels – and raising funds – by cruising to 40 ports in affluent countries and offering tours of the boat.

He plans for a crew of four to make another try for the 24,000 nautical mile record, starting from Malaga next March, with the aim of making a net zero carbon footprint.

The biodiesel used by the boat to reach speeds of up to 40 knots uses emits around 20 per cent of the CO2 given off by conventional diesel, but Mr Bethune is planning on using carbon "offsets" to account for those emissions.

The Earthrace also showcases a range of environmentally friendly technologies, such as non-toxic underwater paint, an efficient hull design, and it is said to be the first boat in the world to use a hemp composite material in its interior.

- NZPA