Chokan Valikhanov yacht. Photo courtesy of the expedition's participants
Chokan Valikhanov yacht used for Terra Vita Kazakhstan round-the-world expedition will be accompanied by additional ship when passing French Polynesia for security reasons, Interfax-Kazakhstan reports. According to head of the expedition Dmitriy Petrukhin, the main danger of French Polynesia is created by cannibals and pirates living there. That's why participants of the exhibition decided to hire additional ship with experienced skipper that will accompany them from Marquesas Islands to Tahiti shores. Now captain Aleksandr Lavrinov, first mate Vitaliy Melnokov, navigator Almas Mynbayev, sailors Mikhail Tarabanovskiy and Konstantin Rudenko are sailing on board the Kazakh yacht. Petrukhin noted that he is planning to join the crew in a month, when the yacht reaches Australian shores. Right now he is travelling around the world on his motorbike. The expedition started on September 25, 2007, from Aktau port in Kazakhstan. The yacht made it to the Atlantic Ocean and covered a long way to the Caribbean Sea. Then the project had to be suspended because of the financial crisis. The plan was that the yacht visits 32 countries. The adventurers are planning to come back home by December 16, the day of celebrating 20th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s independence. French Polynesia is famous for the death of German round-the-world traveler and yachtsman Stefan Ramin. Human remains discovered on Nuku-Hiva island gave grounds to suppose that the tourist became a victim of local cannibals.
Chokan Valikhanov yacht used for Terra Vita Kazakhstan round-the-world expedition will be accompanied by additional ship when passing French Polynesia for security reasons, Interfax-Kazakhstan reports.
According to head of the expedition Dmitriy Petrukhin, the main danger of French Polynesia is created by cannibals and pirates living there. That's why participants of the exhibition decided to hire additional ship with experienced skipper that will accompany them from Marquesas Islands to Tahiti shores.
Now captain Aleksandr Lavrinov, first mate Vitaliy Melnokov, navigator Almas Mynbayev, sailors Mikhail Tarabanovskiy and Konstantin Rudenko are sailing on board the Kazakh yacht. Petrukhin noted that he is planning to join the crew in a month, when the yacht reaches Australian shores. Right now he is travelling around the world on his motorbike.
The expedition started on September 25, 2007, from Aktau port in Kazakhstan. The yacht made it to the Atlantic Ocean and covered a long way to the Caribbean Sea. Then the project had to be suspended because of the financial crisis. The plan was that the yacht visits 32 countries. The adventurers are planning to come back home by December 16, the day of celebrating 20th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s independence.
French Polynesia is famous for the death of German round-the-world traveler and yachtsman Stefan Ramin. Human remains discovered on Nuku-Hiva island gave grounds to suppose that the tourist became a victim of local cannibals.