Earthrace heads into the Indian Ocean

'Earthrace (Photo Peter Faretra)' Earthrace Media Click Here to view large photo

Skipper Pete Bethune had planned for this Round the World speed challenge to start in March to ensure the Indian Ocean passage was complete before the Monsoon season kicked it.

However EU customs delays meant that the Spanish biofuel was not in place until after the originally planned date. As a result it was April 27th that Earthrace motored out of Sagunto in Spain. Now the price for this delay will have to be paid.

She left Singapore's ONEo15 Marina at 8.30pm local time still well ahead of the current world record, despite the three day stop over. Her ETA in Cochin, India was originally Friday 13th June, but that is now looking less likely.

As expected, the run northwest up the sheltered waters of the Malacca Straits was smooth. Earthrace managed 531 nautical miles in the last 24 hours, averaging 22.1 knots in the flat water and she is now 1,537 miles ahead of the pace set by Cable & Wireless, when she set the record of 74 days 23 hours 53 minutes in 1998.

While the water was smooth there was still tension on the boat. Bethune reports that the Earthrace crew had to avoid some large logs and assorted flotsam and jetsam.

However as soon as Earthrace moved out into the open ocean the monsoon seaway slowed her down. She is currently making slow progress as she heads west at 12 knots.

As Bethune explained 'its just a matter of nursing her along'. This will be a tough leg, as will the first half of the next leg up into the Gulf, but from then on its sheltered waters up the Suez Canal and across the Mediterranean.

At 12:35 GMT on Day 44 Earthrace was 16,907 nautical miles from the finishing line.

Below you can listen to the latest sat phone report from Earthrace.

Earthrace reports by Sat Phone - Click play button twice to listen

Earthrace heads into the Indian Ocean

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