<div><p>A high-tech anti-whaling powerboat that was badly damaged in a collision with Japanese fishermen sank overnight after salvage attempts failed, activists said on Friday.</p><p>The super-fast "Ady Gil" trimaran, which had its front end sheared off in the smash, was being taken to an Antarctic port when the tow line snapped, Peter Hammarstedt, first officer of the "Bob Barker" ship, told AFP.</p><p>"The Ady Gil was taking on too much water, it became too heavy on the tow. More and more of the vessel was under water," he said.</p><p>"It was determined it would be only two to three hours before it was fully submerged. At this point unfortunately the Ady Gil is on the bottom of the Southern Ocean."</p><p>The Bob Barker, which was towing the Ady Gil, has now rejoined the hunt for Japanese whalers along with the "Steve Irwin", another protest ship operated by the Hollywood-backed Sea Shepherd group.</p><p>The Ady Gil, a sleek, carbon-and-kevlar trimaran, was capable of speeds up to 50 knots (57 miles/93 kilometres per hour) and claimed the round-the-world record in 2008 under its former name, "Earthrace".</p><img src="http://admatch-syndication.mochila.com/images/ad.gif?aid=66522493&bid=informcom" /></div><div id="copyright"><div>

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