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Volvo Ocean Race Route Redrawn Due to Piracy Threat

This year’s Volvo Ocean Race competing boats were due to have sailed through an East African corridor in the Indian Ocean on the second leg from Cape Town to Abu Dhabi and again in the third leg from Abu Dhabi to Sanya in China. But plans have changed, as the piracy problem in the Indian Ocean poises a threat to the security of the sailing teams.

This is why the route has been redrawn, with the boats set to race from Cape Town to an undisclosed ‘safe haven' port, be transported closer to Abu Dhabi, and then complete the leg from there. The process will be reversed for the third leg before the race continues on to Sanya, the fourth of 10 host ports in a race that will not finish until July 2012.

"This has been an incredibly difficult decision," said Volvo Ocean Race Chief Executive Knut Frostad. "We have consulted leading naval and commercial intelligence experts and their advice could not have been clearer: ‘Do not risk it.'"

"The solution we have found means our boats will still be racing into Abu Dhabi and competing in the in-port race there. Abu Dhabi is a very important part of our plans, a real highlight being the race's first-ever stopover in the Middle East, and we will now have a really exciting sprint finish to the emirate over the New Year period as well."


In 2010 a record 1,181 seafarers were kidnapped by pirates, according to figures supplied by marine safety experts Dryad Maritime Intelligence. The most recent vessels released endured hijackings lasting an average of 213 days and it has been estimated that last year $150 million was paid to pirate gangs in ransoms for ships, cargoes and crews.
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