Space-age anti-whaling powerboat 'sliced in two' by Japan whalers

The futuristic Ady Gil trimaran, which holds the round-the-world record and was enlisted by Sea Shepherd activists for this whaling season, received "catastrophic damage" and was sinking, they said.

All six crew, who earlier hurled stink bombs at the whalers to disrupt their annual hunt, were rescued unharmed by Sea Shepherd's Bob Barker ship. Activists described the attack as unprovoked and said it was captured on film.

"The Shonan Maru No. 2 suddenly started up and deliberately rammed the Ady Gil ripping eight feet (2.4 metres) of the bow of the vessel completely off," a Sea Shepherd statement said.

"The Ady Gil is believed to be sinking and chances of salvage are very grim," it added.

The whalers accused the Ady Gil's five New Zealand and one Dutch crew of trying to tangle the Nisshin Maru's rudder and propeller with rope, and aiming a "green laser device" at its sailors, as well as launching stink bombs.