Broken engine mounts delay Earthrace Fri, 6 Apr 2007 The clock continues to tick, as the biodiesel powered trimaran Earthrace awaits vital parts in San Diego. The Kiwi boat Earthrace is still undergoing urgent repairs before continuing its around-the-world speed record attempt. Off the Guatemalan coast at night, the wave piercing trimaran ran down an unlight five metre fishing skiff of the Guatemalan coast killing a local fisherman, injuring another, whose life they saved with large volumes of intravenous saline. After a ten day delay, the Earthrace crew was cleared for any liability and powered on to Acapulco, then up the Baja Peninsula to San Diego. There the boat's gear box was replaced and then as the boat left port a wobble was discovered in the drive shaft, revealing damage to the engine mounts from the collision. The mounts are now repaired but unconfirmed reports indicate they boat will be spending another night in San Diego as the mechanics discovered a timing problem with the port engine causing it to not fire correctly. Cummins support engineers are working with the crew and a departure in the next eight or nine hours is expected. Skipper Pete Bethune reports on the latest frustrations. 'Things maybe haven't really been going our way, but so what. We still have an awesome team, the world's coolest boat, albeit with broken engine mounts, and a band of super-loyal supporters and we're on a mission. So just make it happen I think to myself. 'Our critical path right now is the engine-mounts. We're not going anywhere until they arrive. And they're supposed to be here this morning. 'Alli comes scuttling down the dock with a very stressed look on her face. 'The mounts are still stuck in Maine', she blurts out. 'The tosser never sent them at all'. Oh man. Stink one. His excuse is that DHL won't accept the shipment because he isn't registered. Something to do with September 11 he says. Yeah right. They're just a bit of metal and rubber. 'Half an hour later and GC4 has more news. 'There's four mounts in Texas that will fit, but we can't have them until 8am tomorrow morning'. I wonder if they really will arrive. We're rapidly losing faith in courier companies and promises of delivery here. 'Make sure you get tracking numbers and we keep tabs on where these things are', I growl at her unfairly. 'I look over on the dock and there's a face that seems vaguely familiar. He's pulling lines on this old looking yacht and it hits me. Dennis Connor, of America's Cup fame. Well we're docked in prestigious company indeed. For more, go http://www.sail-world.com/UK/index.cfm?rd=n&SEID=924&SRSID=&eid=&pid=&nid=&sr cid=0&ntid=0&tickeruid=0&tickercid=0 http://www.earthrace.net/index.php?section=1