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                      |  | The Earthrace eco-boat has successfully avoided delay 
                          in its attempt to beat the round-the-world speed record 
                          and completed its transit through the Panama Canal.
 Earthrace is a 24m tri-hull wavepiercer that is currently 
                          attempting to smash the world record for a powerboat 
                          to circumnavigate the globe.
 |   The craft runs on renewable biodiesel fuel and has a net 
                    zero-carbon footprint. The Panama Canal Authority ensured a swift journey through 
                    the canal for Earthrace, which completed its 12 hour transit 
                    at 2030hrs on Saturday (10 May). The boat then moored at Rodman�s 
                    Dock awaiting refuelling on Sunday morning, as local licensing 
                    restrictions forbid refuelling during the night.  Earthrace set off on the next leg of its journey to Mexico 
                    on Sunday afternoon, guided by a pilot boat. The crew expects 
                    to arrive in Manzanillo, Mexico on Wednesday (14 May).  �We�re all really grateful to the Panama Canal Authority 
                    for speeding up our route through the canal� - says skipper 
                    Pete Bethune. �This is high season in the canal and demand 
                    to get through can often result in a backlog of a number of 
                    weeks - so, to only lose a day is a massive boost for our 
                    world record attempt. We wouldn�t have been able to do it 
                    without the amazing local support we have received.  �The boat�s running fantastically and we�re now thundering 
                    up the coast of Costa Rica and looking forward to arriving 
                    in Manzanillo for a speedy refuelling on Wednesday.�  Keep up-to-date with Earthrace�s progress during the world 
                    record attempt with the live satellite tracker - Click 
                    Here |