[PCW] Earthrace battles bureaucracy in India

[Georgs Kolesnikovs]

NEWS RELEASE

Earthrace battles Monsoon, and now Indian Bureaucracy.

Cochin, India- 16 May 2007--Since leaving Singapore just on a week 
ago, Earthrace found itself engulfed in the Bay or Bengal's first 
monsoon of the season. According to Earthrace captain, Pete Bethune, 
on leaving Singapore, the forecast was for moderate winds only, but 
within 24 hours this had all changed to a full monsoon.  As Earthrace 
rounded Banda Aceh, on the tip of  Indonesia, it found itself head on 
into big seas and strong winds, and these continued for three days, 
all the way to Cochin, India, where the boat is now docked.  On 
arrival all crew were exhausted from sleep deprivation.

Through the voyage, Earthrace suffered a number of mechanical 
failures, the most serious being 3 broken mounts on the starboard 
engine.  This left just a single mount holding the engine down, and 
it forced Earthrace to complete the last day of the voyage, not for 
the first time, on one engine at reduced speed.

Within a day of arriving in Cochin, crew and the local Cummins 
Mercruiser dealer had repaired the mounts.  All that remained was the 
delivery of biodiesel fuel, which was coming from Hyderabad, some 
1000km away.

Bethune says that the ongoing saga of fuel delivery has been 
extremely frustrating.  "We were assured it would be here a week 
before our arrival, and then when the ground crew arrived to prepare 
for Earthrace, it became evident the fuel had not even left Hyderbad.

After days of frustrating phone calls, delivery was again promised, 
and the truck left Hyderbad.  It was then, for various reasons, 
refused passage through customs into Cochin province.  By now 
Earthrace was arriving in port and waiting on fuel.

At 2am this morning, some 3 days later, delivery of the biodiesel was 
finally made, however it was of such poor quality that crew were 
forced to reject it.  This is despite the fuel apparently coming with 
paperwork indicating it meets quality standards.  The crew is 
currently searching for a supplier of standard diesel to allow them 
to leave India, but even delivery of that is proving difficult to 
negotiate with local beauracracy in Cochin.

To compound things, three team members, including the Captain, have 
become ill, suffering  a series of symptoms including diarrhea, 
vomiting, muscle aches and lethargy.  Or Delhi belly as it is more 
commonly known.

Earthrace is hopeful of refueling later today, then leaving Cochin, 
but until the fuel is loaded, who knows?

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