Piracy

Somalia - As YachtPals has reported consistently, piracy along the Horn of Africa has been spinning out of control.  With more and more pirates becoming involved and emboldened, the targets have grown increasingly large and of higher profile. Months ago, Puntland "officials" publicly declared that the US, EU members, and other first world nations were at fault for not using their military might to fight piracy, while there is every indication that privately, these same officials were profiting from that very piracy, and encouraging more of the same.  Careful what you wish for.

The Volvo Ocean Race fleet has run into a bit of trouble leaving the Southern Ocean, with the yachts Green Dragon and Puma experiencing some serious damage. Puma received structural damage while slamming off waves on the race from South Africa to India, and the yacht Green Dragon had an even more serious problem when their steering gear failed in a 50 knot squall, causing the boat to accidentaly gybe, and breaking their boom in two.

Venezuela — We are sad to report that there has been yet another attack by pirates against a yacht in Venezuela. An American citizen has been shot and killed, and his friend wounded, when pirates boarded their sailboat on Saturday night in an apparent robbery attempt on Venezuela's Caribbean coast.

East Africa - Strange happenings in both Somalia and Kenya this past week, and while they don't all have something directly to do with yachts, they do affect all vessels near the horn of Africa.  The battle for safe transit of the Gulf of Aden and the Somali coast has gotten a lot hotter, and many speculate this will not end quickly or well.  However, with the recent arrest of a prominent African maritime official, there are fewer left to say anything at all.

Somalia – Hours ago, a 30-man French assault team from the Hubert Commando, an elite frogman commando unit, air dropped a distance away from the Carre D'as IV, and swam to the yacht. The Commandos then stormed the Amel Super Maramu sailboat. One pirate opened fire, and was killed.

Somalia - YachtPals just received a warning from Andrew Mwangura of the Seafarers Assistance Programme (SAP) in Kenya to ALL VESSELS NEAR THE HORN OF AFRICA.  The Amel Super Maramu Carre D'as IV, captured by Somalian Pirates a week ago, may be under use as a decoy vessel attacking other ships.  The SAP warns that the vessel likely is or will be used to signal ships at sea as being under distress, while hiding a speedboat from view of any ships responding to the rescue.  Mwangura says that a small attack vessel of the type that can hide behind the Carre D'as IV "usually carries