Yachting

NEWSNNNNNNN

If you have a news story to share, contact News Editor Theo Stocker

EMAIL [email protected] TEL 020 3148 4873

Arabian Sea

remains

unsafe

as yacht

attacked

A yacht has been attacked

by pirates in the Arabian Sea,

despite reduced risk warnings for

the area. The yacht was en route

from the Maldives to Djibouti in

February 2016 when

she was surrounded

by several skiffs and

pirates aboard a dhow

attempted to ram and

board the yacht.

The yacht, a Crealock

50, skippered by her

American owner and

crewed by Englishman

William Pardoe, was

able to fend off the

threatened attack at

the last minute by

brandishing two AK47 assault

rifl es they had on board, although

no shots were fi red.

William Pardoe, 25, explained

what happened: ‘On the tenth

day of our passage, we had seen

a Royal Navy destroyer and a

French helicopter in the last day

so we felt safe. A couple of hours

after the fl y-over, two dhows

appeared along with fi ve skiffs

and they were moving

to intercept us. We

called United Kingdom

Marine Trade Operations

(UKMTO), who said they

would call back for an

update in 15 minutes.

‘We stood on deck,

brandishing the AK-47s

we had assembled from

kits, although one didn’t

work. We attempted to

steer an evasive course

but they approached fast

from starboard. The dhow picked

up speed and aimed at us while

three men climbed onto their

bowsprit, ready to board us.

‘At 50 metres, they saw our

guns and veered off just behind

our stern. They then steamed

off into the shipping lane and

attempted to board a tanker

astern of us.’

‘We had followed security

advice and risk warnings that

there was a one per cent chance

of being attacked by pirates.

Afterwards we were told that we

should have fi red our weapons at

300 metres to keep the pirates

away. We’ve made it to Sudan

now and despite our experiences,

it has been a magical trip.’

Piracy has been a growing

problem in the area since 2006

and peaked in 2011 when there

were 237 attempted or actual

attacks on vessels. In 2015 there

were no reported incidents and

authorities reduced the size of the

piracy High Risk Area.

Blue Water Rallies stopped

operations in February 2011 and

cancelled its round-the-world rally

in Oman after the four crew of an

American yacht were killed.

World Cruising Club, which

takes its World ARC rally south-

west through the Indian Ocean to

South Africa, said: ‘Whilst attacks

against yachts have declined, the

Red Sea area remains politically

unstable with a lingering piracy

threat. Until conditions change, it

is not prudent to sail the region.’

The Royal Cruising Club

Pilotage Foundation (RCCPF) also

advises strongly against the route.

‘It’s a shame because the Red

Sea is an extraordinary cruising

ground if you take the slow route

up inside the reefs,’ said Jane

Russell, RCCPF editor in chief.

Skipper Zak

assembled

two machine

guns from kits

to ward off

the pirates

‘The dhow picked up

speed and aimed at

us, ready to board us’

Despite the

danger, William

enjoyed the sail

to Djibouti and

up the Red Sea

PHOTOS: WILLIAM PARDOE

The moment pirates

headed for the

yacht, before they

saw the crew’s guns

Pirates were

operating in the

area despite

patrols by coalition

warships and

helicopters

4 http://www.yachtingmonthly.com MAY 2016

If you have a news story to share, contact News Editor Theo Stocker

TEL 020 3148 4873