THE world's fastest eco-boat took the shine off the fuel-hungry superyachts and cruisers when it moored alongside them at Marina Mirage yesterday to spread the message of alternative fuel and climate change.
New Zealand based skipper Pete Bethune, a former oil worker, said the 24m tri-hull wavepiercer, Earthrace, ran on 100 per cent biodiesel and was carbon neutral -unlike its polluting neighbours down at the marina.
"Some of these big boats are appalling on fuel consumption. If they were all on biodiesel it would be a start. For some people these big boats are their biggest sin," he said.
Mr Bethune said there was a lot more that boaties could do to reduce their impact on the environment. Some of these things were as simple as introducing recycling bins.
"You don't need to become a hippy and live in the hills but you've got to start somewhere," he said.
Earthrace is painted with a silicone paint, avoiding the need for antifouling, which pollutes the ocean.
"It just means I have to clean it more often but if they can afford $3 million for a boat, surely they can to pay someone to clean it," he said.
Mr Bethune was not impressed with the state of the Gold Coast Seaway, saying he found baitfish packets and rubbish on his voyage into the marina.
"Australia's eastern coastline is the coolest place I've ever been, but it saddens me to see it all choked up. I saw a lot of litter in the Gold Coast Seaway," he said.
Mr Bethune said if he were to give the Gold Coast an eco rating it would be 'pretty low', mostly due to the lack of public transport.
In June, Earthrace smashed the world speed record for a powerboat circumnavigating the globe by almost 14 days. The vessel is open for inspection at Marina Mirage today between noon and 6pm.
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