Piracy statistics, 2009

I wonder how many of us have dreamed of retiring and sailing off in to the sunset? Paul and Rachel Chandler were living that dream until their yacht, Lynn Rival, was overrun by Somali pirates. Today they yacht has been recovered by the Royal Navy but the couple continue to be held hostage.

Piracy has become a real threat for adventurous sailors who seek to take their yachts beyond the shores of Europe and North America. The Chandlers were boarded 60 miles in to a voyage from the Seychelles to the Amirante islands.

Here are some sobering statistics on piracy in 2009, compiled by former Royal Navy and Superyacht Captain, Paul Cook, speaking recently at the Superyacht Design Symposium in New York.

Total Incidents = 374

Vessels Boarded = 81

Vessels Hijacked = 39

Vessels Held in Somalia = 7

Hostages = 66

Injured = 19

Killed = 6

Missing = 8