Volvo alters course, thanks to threat of pirates

Read more:sfgate

Volvo Ocean Race organizers say the route for the second and third legs of the around-the-world sailing race will be altered because of the threat of piracy in the Indian Ocean.

Boats in the second leg will depart from Cape Town, South Africa, and head to an undisclosed port before being transported closer to the finish in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. In the third leg, the boats will start from Abu Dhabi before being transported to another location ahead of the finish in Sanya, China.

Race chief executive Knut Frostad said, "We have consulted leading naval and commercial intelligence experts and their advice could not have been clearer: 'Do not risk it.' "

The race begins in October in Alicante, Spain, and will finish in Galway, Ireland, in July 2012. It will cover 39,000 nautical miles.