KEY POINTS:
The Earthrace boat which last week abandoned its attempt on the record for circumnavigating the world is set to tour Europe.
Aucklander Pete Bethune said yesterday the boat would visit up to 40 European cities over the next eight months. The tour would promote the use of biofuels, and would invite visitors at marinas and boat shows around Europe to tour the futuristic 23m wave-piercing trimaran designed and built in New Zealand.
Its hull of carbon fibre coated with Kevlar - designed to cut through waves, rather than ride over the top of them - attracted 50,000 visitors in North America, raising US$250,000 ($340,000).
Mr Bethune and his wife, Sharyn, have re-mortgaged their Auckland house three times to help fund the $3 million project, but a battering from three storms last month caused the boat's hull to develop a 2m split.
The time that it would have taken for repairs meant the boat could not get back to San Diego by June 21 to take the record.
Earthrace crew members are now considering another attempt at the world record next March.
- NZPA
