Today Paul Cayard announced his latest sailing project as skipper of The Black Pearl, official entry in the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-2006 at Salone Nautico Internazionale in Genoa. He and his stellar team, The Pirates of the Caribbean, will race the 70 foot mono-hull yacht The Black Pearl around the world in the exhilarating Volvo Ocean Race 2005-2006 commencing in Vigo, Spain on November 5th, 2005.

Anticipation is high for the team, which includes international champions of extraordinary experience, and it signals Cayardﾒs return to one of his favourite events--one which he won in 1997-98 on EF Language.

The Black Pearl is part of a unique marketing alliance between The Walt Disney Company and Volvo Ocean Race supporting the July 2006 feature film release of Walt Disney Picturesﾒ/Jerry Bruckheimer Filmsﾒ Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Manﾒs Chest.

According to Cayard, "Skippering The Black Pearl, a boat inspired by a worldwide phenomenon, was a determining factor for me. Itﾒs an enormous opportunity to introduce the general public to sailing and to the Volvo Ocean Race."

The Black Pearl is a new Volvo Open 70ﾒ designed by Farr Yacht Design. One of the elements that most distinguishes these boats from the old Volvo 60ﾒ is speed: in fact the Volvo 70 will take 21 days less to accomplish the trip around-the-world (representing an 18% increase in performance).

The boats are 2 metres longer but over 1,000 kilos lighter and crewed by 10 people as opposed to 12. All the seven boats in the fleet have elements in common (canting keel, carbon fibre mast and the same number of sails).

As the final team to get on the water, Cayard has assembled a crew of considerable experience: Julian 'Julesﾒ Salter/Navigator; Freddie Loof/Watch Captain; Rodney Ardern/Watch Captain; Dirk de Ridder/Trimmer-helmsman; Nigel King/Trimmer-helmsman; Craig Satterthwaite/Trimmer-helmsman; Justin Ferris/Bowman-Trimmer-Helmsman; Curtis Blewett/Bowman; Jerry Kirby/Bowman Justin 'Juggyﾒ Clougher/Bowman.

Overall, The Pirates of the Caribbean crew members have taken part in 12 Volvo Ocean Races and won four (Paul Cayard, Curtis Blewett, Dirk De Ridder and Justin 'Juggyﾒ Clougher), 20 editions of the Americaﾒs Cup and won three and six Olympic Games, winning a bronze medal.