I have been following the Earthrace, the really interesting biodiesel powered speed boat that was trying to set the world speed record for circumnavigating the globe. They started off by having to mortgage everything they own just to build the boat, and then ran into problems with their carbon fiber props, and now tragedy has struck, it seems they ran into a fishing boat, that may or may not have had any lights at night, a fisherman is missing and presumed dead. Its pretty sad, they had such high hopes, and were doing the race to promote bio-fuels.

A pioneering, biodiesel-fueled powerboat trying to set a speed record for circling the globe collided with a fishing skiff off Guatemala’s Pacific coast, leaving one fisherman missing and another seriously injured, the military said Monday.

The 78-foot trimaran’s captain, Peter Bethune, said he dove into the water after the accident to try to rescue the fisherman who is now missing. “The crew is unhurt, but we are all very upset,” he told The Associated Press in a phone interview.

Army spokesman Daniel Dominguez said authorities were searching for the 51-year-old fisherman, Julio David Galiano Contreras.

None of the $3 million speedboat’s crew was injured in the collision, which happened early Sunday off the coast of Tiquisate, about 45 miles south of Guatemala City, Dominguez said.
(via)

You can read more about what is going at their ground crew blog here.