MAN MADE

Officially, a Sea Shepherd Conservation Society ocean defense vessel, the boat formerly known as Earthrace, was once known as the world's coolest boat.

It is a 24-metre (78-foot) tri-hull wavepiercer that was originally designed and built specifically to get the record for a powerboat to circumnavigate the globe. It's an advanced endurance vessel, capable of submarining up to 7 metres (23 feet) underwater as it powers across the oceans.

The distinctive "horns" are ducts, which suck in cool air, forcing it around the engines and expelling the hot air out of the top of the horns. In big seas, the horns may submerge but any water ingress is automatically flushed out the sides.

The featured hull of the Ady Gil is very narrow, allowing the flowing lines to slice through the waves rather than riding them like conventional designs. Depending on the speed it can travel an incredible 24,000 kilometres on one tank of biodiesel. That's over half-way around the planet. At its top speed of 25 knots, the range is significantly shorter - but probably more exciting for the crew.

www.earthrace.net/index.php?section=3

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