If some of the most dangerous waters on the globe weren't enough, competitors in the upcoming Volvo Ocean Race will also have to contend with pirates.
One of the features of the second 5430 nautical mile leg from Cape Town to Abu Dhabi will be a floating pit-stop to avoidpirates off the African coast. The six boats in the race will rendezvous with a ship in the middle of the Indian Ocean - the exact co-ordinates won't be made public so as to not alert pirates - before they are deposited in safer waters further north to continue the journey to Abu Dhabi. They will do the same on the next leg from Abu Dhabi to Sanya in southern China.
The race hasn't traditionally gone through the Indian Ocean but the sponsorship dollars being thrown at the event from wealthy Middle Eastern companies was hard to ignore.
Pirates have existed for centuries but it's become a well-organised and lucrative business and is most prevalent off the coast of Somalia. In 2010, a record 1181 seafarers were kidnapped, and it's been estimated US$150 million was paid to pirate gangs in ransoms for ships, cargoes and crews last year alone.
The original race route didn't factor in floating pit-stops but organisers are taking no risks. It adds another element to a race that already has more adventure than an Indiana Jones movie.
"There are a few logistical challenges, like loading the boats onto a ship to avoid the pirates on the leg to Abu Dhabi,'' Team New Zealand skipper Chris Nicholson said. "Other than that, it doesn't really matter where the race goes. It's about racing the boat as fast as possible. It doesn't need to get much more technical than that.''
Nicholson is particularly looking forward to heading into the Southern Ocean where sailors battle towering waves, furious winds and icebergs, but thankfully no pirates.
Camper, Team New Zealand's entry, has already proved itself in heavy conditions having sailed more than 11,000 nautical miles. Nicholson said they faced particularly rough conditions in their tour around New Zealand and when they headed to the start line at Alicante from the UK. It gives them confidence the boat can survive anything but there's always an element of risk.
"We are not fooling ourselves,'' Nicholson said. "It's still quite possible for these boats to break. They are still built fairly light to meet the rules but we feel like we are structurally sound.''
