Earthrace gets through Panama canal

New Zealand skipper Pete Bethune has thanked the Panama Canal Authority for allowing his 23m trimaran Earthrace a swift transit through the canal.

The Earthrace crew, attempting to set a new world record for a powerboat to circumnavigate the globe, had feared being held up by an industrial dispute on reaching the Panama Canal on Friday.

But Bethune said on his Earthrace website the delays were due to excess traffic and significant maintenance work in the canal.

"I am very grateful for the assistance of the Panama Canal Authority in clarifying this matter and in allowing Earthrace a swift transit through the canal to continue on our World Speed Record route without delay," wrote Bethune.

The Earthrace boat started its bid in Spain on April 27 and has to complete the round-the-world trip in under 74 days to beat the current record set by a British boat in 1998.

- NZPA