Attack on yacht off Yemen

ATALANTA: Continued need for maritime security

Armed men attacked the sailing yacht Lakota off the Yemeni coast on 19 May and attempted to board it. The ship remains unmolested and safe. However, the incident makes it clear that pirates and militant forces in the region continue to pose a potential threat.

According to the European Union Naval Force's (EU Navfor) Operation Atalanta, the sailing trimaran "Lakota" was south-east of the Yemeni port of Hodeidah in the southern Red Sea near the strategically important Bab-el-Mandeb Strait when three boats with five people on board approached the Hong Kong-flagged vessel, firing around 20 warning shots and holding up bazookas and assault rifles in demonstration.

One of the attackers managed to board the ship. Through evasive manoeuvres, the sailing ship managed to escape and the crew is safe, according to EU Navfor. Shortly after the initial report and after assessing which unit was in the best position to approach the sailing vessel, the flagship of Atalanta, ITS "Bergamini", patrolling off Djibouti, was instructed to approach the Lakota. Its helicopter was dispatched to locate the sailboat and provide first aid to the crew. The "Bergamini" is a missile frigate of the Italian Navy (Fremm-Class F 592).

The crew of the Lakota handed over a video of the attack to the Atalanta boarding team. In the 14 years of its existence, EU Navfor and Operation Atalanta and its partners have succeeded in building up an extensive network in the region and establishing efficient procedures to ensure the security of sea routes, particularly against piracy and illegal trade.

The "Lakota" is a famous sailing ship that set 12 records between 1993 and 2000 under the command of skipper Steve Fossett. It was sold at the beginning of this year, apparently to the French sailor Philippe Poupon, who wanted to sail around the world on it. The ship is normally steered by a crew of up to five. It is currently registered in Hong Kong.