www.blackpearlracing.com

[Black Hearted Pearl]

Irish Examiner

'Pirates' stars set for high-seas junket

Pirates of the Caribbean stars Keira Knightley, Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom are taking to the high seas for real by joining a round-the-world yacht race, it was announced today.

The Hollywood trio will help to crew a boat taking part in the gruelling Volvo Ocean Race.

The vessel will be named the Black Pearl – after the pirate ship in the film - and its sail will feature a giant skull and crossbones.

It is all part of a marketing stunt to promote the forthcoming release of the sequel Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.

The stars will split the race between them – Knightley will join the boat while it is in Europe, Bloom will cover South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, and Depp will be on board when the yacht reaches the US and Brazil.

Each will undergo rigorous training at the race HQ in Portsmouth.

And while the rest of the crew must put up with the sort of living conditions yachtswoman Ellen MacArthur endured during her recent round-the-world voyage, the actors will be living in comparative luxury.

A special “Hollywood-style” berth is being built for them on the boat.

A spokesman said: “We will be laying on Egyptian cottons sheets, freshly cut flowers and special menus for each star.”

The eight-month race covers 31,250 nautical miles and starts on November 12 in Galicia, northern Spain.

Knightley, 19, Depp, 41, and Bloom, 28, will take part in the inshore races at each of the main stopover ports.

The multi-million pound Black Pearl yacht is to be sponsored by the Walt Disney Company.

Disney Studios chairman Dick Cook said: “We’re excited to be participating in the prestigious Volvo Ocean Race, which is very much like the Formula One of yacht racing.

“This is a fun and unique way to remind viewers all over the world that Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest will be sailing into theatres next summer.

“Given the film’s high seas adventures and nautical themes, this marathon sporting event is a great way to make some waves and generate awareness among millions of viewers.”

The film is due for release in July next year and is a follow-up to the 2003 blockbuster which saw Depp Oscar-nominated for his role as Captain Jack Sparrow.

A third Pirates of the Caribbean film is planned for 2007.

[Black Hearted Pearl]

Volvo Ocean Race

A Pirate's Life

The Volvo Ocean Race is braced for the glare of Hollywood with the ground-breaking announcement today, March 21, that there will be a Pirates of the Caribbean II entry in the 2005-2006 round the world race.

The Walt Disney Company and Volvo (Volvo Car Corporation and AB Volvo) have entered into a unique film marketing deal for Pirates of the Caribbean II and the agreement will include the creation of a competitive entry in the 31,250 nm adventure - the world's premier ocean race.

The announcement of the 'Pirates' boat ensures a high-profile US presence among the fleet for the eight-month epic.

Glenn Bourke, the Volvo Ocean Race CEO, said: 'The excitement and intrigue which this entry brings to the race takes us to a whole new level in terms of global profile and exposure. To link up with a Hollywood icon such as the Walt Disney Company is a fillip for the event and for sailing in general.

'The deal also underscores the value of the Volvo Ocean Race as a compelling marketing communications tool in the eyes of the commercial world. In terms of competition, I fully expect this team, proudly flying the flag of the United States, will be at the sharp end of the race for honours.'

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Gore Verbinski, once again stars Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow, Orlando Bloom as Will Turner and Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Swann. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, the spectacular follow-up to the international blockbuster released in 2003, is currently being filmed in Los Angeles and the Caribbean and is due for release in July 2006.

Dick Cook, chairman of The Walt Disney Studios, said: 'We're excited to be participating in the prestigious Volvo Ocean Race, which is very much like the 'formula one' of yacht racing. This is a fun and unique way to remind viewers all over the world that Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest will be sailing into theatres next summer. Given the film's high seas adventures and nautical themes, this marathon sporting event is a great way to make some waves and generate awareness among the millions of viewers.'

The 'Pirates' campaign will be headed by Atlant Ocean Racing, the syndicate company of Richard Brisius and Johan Salen.

My next boat. arrrgh, I mean ship!

[Black Hearted Pearl]

ATLANT OCEAN RACING (USA)

Skipper TBA

Designer Farr Yacht Design

The 'Pirates of the Caribbean II' campaign will be headed by Atlant Ocean Racing, the syndicate company of Richard Brisius and Johan Salen. The boat will be built in Green Marine, Lymington, Hampshire.

[Mission]

I wonder if they'll use that logo for the upcoming movie or if it's just a teaser logo hastily assembled for this promotion?

It's a neat logo. Isn't it interesting that they chose Depp's character to be the skeletal logo for the original teaser campaign and now for this promotion when he spends so little time as a skeleton in the first movie? It says something about the importance and centrality of his character to the series methinks.

[the Royaliste]

You were right the first time; BOAT....racing yachts (yep, that's a yacht, folks) are shipped to races on SHIPS...As much as I like their pirate movies, my respect has sunk rather low now that they've flaigrantly joined thew world of the snotty yachties......May Walt roll over in his grave.....

[Black Hearted Pearl]

Walt rolling over in his grave? Talk about irritating someone, I think this is a jab at Roy E. Disney. Well, you did say "the world of snotty yachties."

I just want to crew when Johnny is onbaord.

Edit: If I can't have Johnny, Orlando will do just as well.

[Iron Bess]

Walt rolling over in his grave? Talk about irritating someone, I think this is a jab at Roy E. Disney. Well, you did say "the world of snotty yachties."

I just want to crew when Johnny is onbaord.

Edit: If I can't have Johnny, Orlando will do just as well.

Just an FYI...

Roy Disney is quite the sailor himself and has raced *yachties* for years.

But .... really, he's still a VERY nice guy.

[Black Hearted Pearl]

Just an FYI...

Roy Disney is quite the sailor himself and has raced *yachties* for years.

But .... really, he's still a VERY nice guy.

Well, when you can afford a professional crew for racing against non-professional yachties.... well, I can see Royaliste's point of view.

I imagine that Roy E. likes watching the Volvo Ocean Race and now he has to watch one of Eisner's last decisions sail across the screen. Then again.. as, possibly, one of Eisner's last decisions I think Roy E. should buy everyone a round.

[Iron Bess]

I think Roy E. should buy everyone a round.

And he will too.

And he's not a seat of the pants kind of sailor... he always particpates in the races.

He's always aboard the boat he has entered and working hard at it.

But you bet I can see the Royaliste' point of view! (swabs!)

[Black Hearted Pearl]

I still think it's cool. I'm going to paint my boat "scraping by" to look like it. Dh has already volunteered to paint the sails. Do you think I'll get a call from legal?

[andelew]

Well the ways I see it this coould be a good thing Capn' Andrea Agassi came on the Tennis scene wearing wild colours and long hair and everyone stepped back. He was even penalized for his clothing at first, now everyone is doing it. Tiger Woods did kind of the same thing to golf, and maybe having the likes of Depp and others on board a big time snobby yacht will attract attention from all walks of life and then soon the world of yachting wont be for just the snobs anymore. well unless you actually have to own one to get invited in...

[the Royaliste]

Anyone that knows me knows I consider Roy quite a sailor..This aint about Roy, and it's not about breaking records, it's about hype...........Such a small percentage of the general public cares about yacht racing, and the crowd that does is rather long pocketed and usually only cares about racing and more money.....not pirates, movies, or what any regular kind of guy thinks..but you all are the experts..I respectfully butt out....They obviously don't care to cater for my 9 buck admission....sail on, enjoy the Volvo Series....

[Desert Pyrate]

I doubt the public will ever get into yacht racing. It's not terribly exciting on TV, for one... and it's not really like you can get trackside tickets.

Yeah, Roy is a hell of a sailor, from all accounts. If my memory is serving me, Pyewacket (Roy's boat, and skippered by him) held the Pacific Cup (SF-Hawaii) record for a few years before Mari-Cha IV finally broke it this past race.

I might be crazy, having never been on a fancy ocean racing yacht... but what the heck kind o' race boat has fancy menus and nice Egyptian cotton sheets?

[Black Hearted Pearl]

Pirates Wellington-bound

Johnny Depp may make an appearance in Wellington in February – joining fellow Pirates of the Caribbean star Orlando Bloom.

Depp is to join Bloom – who lived in Wellington for more than a year filming The Lord of the Rings – and another Pirates of the Caribbean star, Keira Knightley, on the crew of a boat in the round-the-world Volvo Ocean Race.

The yacht will be named the Black Pearl – after the pirate ship in the film – and its sail will feature a giant skull and crossbones as part of a promotion for the sequel Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.

The stars will split the race among them. Bloom will cover Cape Town, Melbourne and Wellington, where competitors are due to arrive by February 17 for a two-day stop.

The eight-month race covers 57,800 kilometres, starting in November in Galicia, northern Spain.

[Iron Bess]

Related Categories: >TWDC>News>Disney Newsreel

Click to enlarge

'The Black Pearl' Christened in Southampton, England

The Black Pearl, a mono-hull sailboat, was christened Monday in Southhampton, England. The boat is Disney's official entry in the 2005–06 Volvo Ocean Race, the world's premier round-the-world race, which begins Nov. 5.

Monday's christening was hosted by Robert Mitchell, managing director, Buena Vista International U.K., and Paul Cayard, The Black Pearl's skipper. Young royal Lady Gabriella Windsor of England was named godmother of The Black Pearl and performed the christening ceremony.

"This is an exciting moment as we embark upon uniting the exhilaration of a world class sporting event with what will certainly be one of the most anticipated films of next year," Robert said. "There will be plenty of high-seas adventures both on screen and off for the next 10 months."

The Black Pearl is a Volvo 70 class yacht and one of seven entries in the Volvo Ocean Race 2005–06. The race begins in Vigo, Spain, on Nov. 5 and ends in Gothenburg, Sweden, next June.

Skippering The Black Pearl is Cayard, a renowned sailor and the first American skipper to win the race, in 1998. He returns with the energy, determination and sheer passion of the sport to lead his highly experienced and competitive Pirates of the Caribbean team around the globe with stops in 10 of the world's most exotic locales.

Robert said, "We are thrilled that Paul Cayard will be our very own modern day 'Captain Jack' taking to the high seas to command his team on The Black Pearl in this year's Volvo Ocean Race.

"Paul is a legendary figure in the world of sailboat racing, and we will be cheering him on port after port as he leads his Pirates of the Caribbean crew around the globe."

For complete details, please visit: volvooceanrace.org.

[Rumba Rue]

Pray tell, are they using a Volvo motor for the ship?

[Red Maria]

I guess that makes 2 real Black Pearls. This one and the tall ship by that name. :)

[Black Hearted Pearl]

Oh, now that is a pretty boat.

Pirates planning on mast heist in Holland

[Black Hearted Pearl]

Blog from Paul Cayard, Captain of the Pirates of the Caribbean 2

This morning when we arrived at the Pearl, we noticed a new addition to the equipment on the yacht. The following explains the efforts of some wannabe pirates:

"Dear Capt'n Paul Sparrow,

"A grave act of piracy has been discovered in Breskens this morning. Last night a gang of renegades abducted the blow-up parrot from the fly bridge of motor yacht Pastime and perched it on the com. bracket at the back of the Black Pearl. The owner’s wife is very attached to her parrot so we could not stand idly by and watch this crime go unpunished. We were successful in defeating the culprits and liberate the poor animal. He will be "deflated" for quite some time.

"The owner is in St. Tropez at the moment but he told me to hang the guilty when the sun is over the yardarm, so if you're a couple short on your return to your Spain you know what happened. Good luck with your Volvo campaign.

"Capt'n Roeland Vroon, m/y Pastime, Breskens"

I have indeed checked into the "act", and I am must report that none of my Pirates were responsible. As near as we can tell, this act was perpetrated by local Dutch Pirates. The locals must have felt that the Parrot would actually prefer to live onboard the Pearl. As Captain Vroon indicates, the act was "in the spirit" and was appreciated by all in the harbor.

I kind of like the idea of a Parrot... a real one though. I might take that onboard. Why have a yard dog? Everyone has one of those. Kimo, look into quarantine laws.

We are gearing up for our first sail with the new rig tonight and if all goes well we'll head back to Sanxenxo tomorrow.

[andelew]

I am enjoying seeing the blogs by Captain Cayard, it is exciting getting to watch the BlackPearl from before she was built until the finish of the race.

[Black Hearted Pearl]

OVERALL POINTS TABLE

Team Points

Brasil 1 10.00

Ericsson Racing Team 9.50

ABN AMRO ONE 6.00

ABN AMRO TWO 5.50

movistar 4.00

Pirates of the Caribbean 3.50

Sunergy and Friends 3.00

PIRATES PROGRESS

Over in Portugal, in Cascais, where the other damaged boat is being assessed, the Pirates have been playing it close to their chests, but Paul Cayard has found the time to send out the following missive, “We have now been in port for 36 hours. I know there are a lot of stories, rumours and thoughts going on around the water cooler so I thought I would give you my perspective to add to your daily conversation. A couple of facts first:

“This is a race on points not time. This is not the Tour de France. This is more similar to the Formula 1 season where over 16 races, Michael Schumacher may not even finish three or four of the 16 races and yet still win the World Championship. There are 23 "events" in this race ranging in points value from 3.5 to seven. The maximum number of points available to be won is 112.

“These new Volvo 70's are high tech machines. They are going to break down. Breaking down is not new to round the world racing. We are all learning about what it takes to keep these things together.

“We are going to return to the race and I feel that we have a good chance to win this race.

“Now, how to move forward.

“Option 1: Put a Band-Aid on the boat, sail for three weeks to Cape Town and collect 1.5 points, or possibly a few more points if others breakdown on this leg, arrive one day before the In Port race and basically go into Leg 2, one of the most difficult legs of the race, beat and not fully prepared.

“Option 2: Ship the boat to Cape Town, do the repairs properly, proactively seek out and improve the structural integrity of the boat in areas that have not yet broken, sea trial the boat offshore for three days before Leg 2, and enter the In Port race and Leg properly prepared.

“We are going for Option 2.

“Pescanova are coming through like champs. Our partner, Pescanova, has offered to support the cost of the flying the boat to Cape Town, in fact it was CEO Manuel Fernandéz's suggestion. This will gain us 12 days over a shipping option which will be used to get more work done on our job list. Further we will attach other issue that are concerning us so that we can leave for the Southern Ocean with as much confidence as possible in the boat. For sure this is a luxury and we are grateful for Pescanova’s help.

“So this is all part of the story. No one tells you how the story is going to unfold when you start. You have to live it in all of its ups and downs. That is the beauty of it and you play your hand as it is dealt to you.”

Both Pirates and movistar have suspended racing in the leg as they are entitled to do under the Notice of Race, but neither have yet declared their intention to retire from the leg. The options are to return to the point where they suspended racing and carry on to Cape Town, or to retire and then they could ship their boat to the next stopover.

© Volvo Ocean Race 2005-2006Updated 16/11/05 17.30

[Black Hearted Pearl]

CAYARD'S COUNSEL FOR CAUTION

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Photos: L © Oskar Khilborg R © Oskar Khilborg

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Paul Cayard remains confident that the Pirates of the Caribbean can fight their way back into contention with the leaders although he admitted he will sail with caution when he leads The Black Pearl into the Southern Ocean next Monday: not due to iceberg fields or strong winds, rather because of the canting keel troubles which ruined his In Port race.

The American, who skippered EF Language to victory in the 1997-98 race, revealed the three wipe outs which saw his team fall from second to fifth position on Monday were not caused by sloppy technique, as he had suggested in the post race interviews, but a slow keel mechanism.

Cayard confessed the problem will not be fixed by the time they head into what are notoriously the roughest oceans on the planet.

In breezes up to 40 knots during the In Port race – similar to the conditions they will encounter throughout the 6,100 leg to Melbourne – the Pirates’ stability was compromised by the keel’s failure to swing to windward quickly enough, making a broach inevitable.

“We will be cautious, but it won’t be with regard to the ice but more to do with the boat and the equipment,” Cayard said. “I was blaming it all on myself that night and then I subsequently found out that our keel canting mechanism is far too slow and that’s why we weren’t able to gybe well that day. It’s not been something we have been able to fix in time for the leg.”

But Cayard believes the problem, while being dangerous, is not necessarily going to hinder them to a great extent.

“It’s a bit dangerous not being able to cant your keel quickly and get your stability from one side to the next. We will have to keep that in mind on this leg, but we are really going to work hard on getting a solution to that. But having said that we are not racing in a really confined space, like on Monday, we can take the spinnaker down to gybe or we can even take the mainsail down to gybe. We will be gybing a lot less and we can afford to take a 15 or 20 minute hit on full speed just to get the manoeuvre done safely,” he said.

Despite their problems and imminent departure for the Southern Ocean Cayard, making his fourth trip through the world’s most inhospitable ocean, is delighted to be returning.

“I think we have to enter into this leg with a lot of respect for the conditions of where we are going and to remember these boats are light and fragile as we’ve seen. Fortunately for me I’ve been down there already, this will be my fourth time in the Southern Ocean.

“I think the Southern Ocean is what defines an around the world race. It’s what makes it an exceptional experience. Everything that everybody says that it’s miserable and cold, but to me it is really just a unique experience. It’s very unusual you get a dull moment. You might get a system that leaves you in light air, but generally speaking it will be blowing 35 knots. Once we get down of 40 degrees south we get to what we call the highway where it blows up to 35 to 40 knots from the west basically for the whole eight or ten days that we are down there and it will be a fast ride.

“I feel confident in the boat and the team. We have done a lot of work with the boat and feel pretty ready.

“But I think everybody will be exercising some caution and prudence knowing how fragile they (the boats) are. We know as well as anybody about that after we broke on the first night (of the last leg).”

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© Volvo Ocean Race 2005-2006

Updated 04/01/06 18.05

[Black Hearted Pearl]

She's moving up in the standings. Go Black Pearl!

POSITIONS IN WATER

Team DTFC nm

ABN AMRO ONE 5544

Pirates of the Caribbean +2

ABN AMRO TWO +9

movistar +38

ING Real Estate Brunel +134

Brasil 1 +192

Ericsson Racing Team +333

[hitman]

Any one other than me think the Volvo event pales in comparison to the Around Alone competition and do they still hold that one. Should be up this year as I recall?

[Black Hearted Pearl]

Date: 10th February 2006

Pirates ready to take on Leg 3 of the Volvo Ocean Race from Melbourne to Wellington

Sunday, February 12th will mark the start of leg 3 of Volvo Ocean Race 2005-2006 from Melbourne, Australia. The Pirates of the Caribbean shore team have worked tirelessly over the past two weeks, putting in over 1,000 hours to reinforce both the structure supporting the keel and the hydraulic rams themselves. The Black Pearl is now ready for the 1450nm sprint to Wellington, New Zealand.

A successful in port race in Port Philip, Melbourne saw the Pirates of the Caribbean take a hard fought second place moving them up the Volvo Ocean Race leader board to fourth overall.

Paul Cayard, Skipper, Pirates of the Caribbean (USA) "The team is in good spirits and well prepared. We had some good practice days before the In Port and during that race we sailed well as team, maneuvered the boat well, had smart tactics and good speed... for me, all these things together are valuable ingredients for the long term and that will make us a strong team for the next 5 months. We upgraded some of our hydraulic systems to speed up the keel so it moves faster side to side which has improved gybing and tacking especially in heavy winds."

"Our shore team plays a crucial role in building the confidence of the sailing squad. This is a real team effort on and off the water. The shore team has done an outstanding job here in Melbourne to improve the reliability of The Black Pearl."

This short leg will take the fleet through Bass Strait, separating mainland Australia from Tasmania. Approximately 240 km wide at its narrowest point and only around 50 metres deep, this is a notoriously rough stretch of water. Strong currents between the Antarctic-driven Southern Ocean and Tasman Sea provide a strait of powerful, wild storm waves.

Jules Salter, Navigator, Pirates of the Caribbean (UK) is looking forward to conquering the Bass Strait. "Although this is a short leg it will be one of the most exciting. With so many factors in such a condensed area there are going to be some tough calls. We are feeling refreshed and strong as a team and I have confidence in our team's ability and 'The Black Pearl' to consolidate on our position in this fleet."