In the Beginning

In the beginning, there was a boat

Although a committed environmentalist for many years, Pete’s first major mission took five years of planning. Finally, in 2008, he drew world-wide attention to the need for renewable fuels by breaking the global circumnavigation speed record in his boat, Earthrace, using only bio diesel from sustainable sources. The journey took 60 days 23 hours 49 minutes, breaking the previous record by almost two weeks (www.earthraceworldrecord.com).

In 2009, Pete took his boat (by then renamed the Ady Gil) to protest against the continued killing of whales by the Japanese JARPA II 'research’ team in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.

After a series of unforeseen events, including the loss of his beloved boat after it was rammed by the whaling vessel, Shonan Maru #2, Pete was taken to Japan and imprisoned for five months. Finally released in July 2010, he was deported back to New Zealand.

On his return home, Pete felt the need for a new outlet for his passionate beliefs in marine conservation that not only focused on important ocean issues, but gave everyone around the world - whether they lived near the ocean or not - an opportunity to get involved. From that passion comes Earthrace Conservation, a new voice for ocean protection and preservation.