Blue Water Rallies ceases operations after murders

International yacht rally organiser Blue Water Rallies has decided to cease operations, following the murder of four cruisers hijacked by pirates.

In a statement on BWR’s website on the weekend the UK-based company said: “It is with great regret that Blue Water Rallies Limited announces that the company will cease trading in its current form on 30 April 2011 at the end of its current round-the-world rally.

“Since its formation in 1997, Blue Water Rallies have organised eight world rallies and take great pride in having enabled over 200 owners and hundreds of crew members to realise their dream of a circumnavigation.

“The current economic downturn and a dramatic rise in piracy in the Indian Ocean (which shows little prospect of resolution) however, have led us to make this disappointing, but we feel realistic, decision.

“For all except one yacht, the 2009-11 Blue Water Rally has effectively come to an end in Salalah, 17 months after the fleet left Gibraltar to sail around the world. The original rally plans concluded in Crete at the end of April, however the remaining skippers have decided to ship their yachts directly to Marmaris, Turkey.

“This decision was taken when four American ralliers were fatally shot by pirates after their sailing yacht Quest was captured on passage from Mumbai to Oman followed by the subsequent capture of Sailing Yacht Ing with a Danish family onboard.

"These incidents and other recent acts of piracy in the area have made proceeding in any direction from Salalah too high-risk for the vast majority of participants. Strong recommendations from The UK Maritime Trade Organisation and The Maritime Liaison Office were decisive factors.

“An action team was quickly set up by the skippers and crews to handle the planning and negotiations necessary to extricate the 20 yachts currently berthed in Salalah. A maritime transport company has now been contracted to ship the yachts. Over the coming weeks, crews are keeping themselves occupied with preparatory boat work and exploring some of what the Dhofar province of Oman has to offer.

“The single exception is Spirit of Nina, who temporarily diverted from the rally route, but is now back on course heading up the Red Sea with a group of three other non-rally yachts. Currently waiting for the head winds to abate, they should soon be approaching the coast of Sudan.”

- Caroline Strainig

* Please send your cruising news to carolinestrainig@yaffa.com.au