old funky pirates at least had their jolly roger flying i like to think...
reality is different, i call it thieves, murderers, peter blake recently beeing a very sad example.
http://www.blakexpeditions.com/flash.htm
Winning America's Cup Captain Murdered
New Zealander Sir Peter Blake killed by Amazonian Pirates
The world sailing community received a chilling reminder that piracy remains a "scourge of the seas" with the announcement that the charismatic Sir Peter Blake has been murdered by intruders who overwhelmed his crew.
Sailing Champion's New Career
The 53 year old Blake, Team New Zealand's winning skipper and a champion of the world environmental movement, was leading an expedition in South America when his boat was attacked in Macapa, Brazil, on Dec. 6th. According to a spokesman at OMEGA, the Swiss watch corporation which has been underwriting Blake's expedition, seven or eight intruders boarded Blake's 36mtr schooner, Seamaster at anchor near the mouth of the Amazon River.
Sir Peter sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the head. Two of the other nine crewmembers were wounded in the attack, one shot across the back, while the other was struck in the face. The masked intruders then fled with some watches, an inflatable dinghy and a spare engine.
Unbeatable America's Cup Skipper
Blake, who first took the Auld Mug to New Zealand in 1995 and kept it firmly under Kiwi control in the 2000 contest, was a man of action and inspiration in a number of fields. In addition to his two America's Cup wins, Sir Peter also won the Whitbread in 1989, and the Jules Verne Trophy in 1994. He was the only person to compete in each of the first five Whitbread races, winning with Steinlager 2 in 1989-90. He also succeeded Jacques Cousteau as captain of the Cousteau Society vessel, Calypso 2.
Earlier this year, Blake announced he was relinquishing control of the Team New Zealand syndicate and in July he was named as a goodwill ambassador of the United Nations Environment Program.
Environmental Sailing Project
Blake and the crew of the Seamaster had just completed a two-month cruise on the Amazon, monitoring pollution and the effects of global warming. They were slated to clear customs and head up the coast to Venezuela when they were attacked. Blake's goal was to show children the wonders of the world around them, and formed Blake Expeditions to show them the world as seen from the deck of the Seamaster. This year alone he led an Antarctic expedition, as well as the voyage up the Amazon and recorded his observations and thoughts in an online logbook.
He leaves behind a wife and two children and many who will miss the effort and enthusiasm he brought to both sailing and environmental awareness.
from sailing