{"id":763,"date":"2026-05-08T14:42:42","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T14:42:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yachtersworld.com\/?p=763"},"modified":"2026-05-08T14:42:42","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T14:42:42","slug":"when-is-some-risk-too-much-risk-nikki-henderson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yachtersworld.com\/?p=763","title":{"rendered":"When is some risk too much risk? Nikki Henderson"},"content":{"rendered":"

From Red Sea pirates to North Pacific hurricanes, the “safe” choice is rarely a straight line. It\u2019s all a gamble\u2014not just sailing says Nikki Henderson<\/strong><\/p>\n

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View from the cockpit in heavy seas aboard London Clipper. Photo: Ian Dickens<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I have to confess, I\u2019m very resistant to the daily news drip-feed. The constant drama is overwhelming. I\u2019ve often gone offline for weeks at sea and realised that when back on land, it doesn\u2019t take long to get back up to speed on current affairs.
\nBut despite a natural urge to shut the world out, we can\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Since the days of the earliest seafarers, it has always been important for sailors to know what parts of the globe to avoid, where the safe-ish areas were, and what the pirates were up to. (Unless of course, you were the pirates\u2026)<\/p>\n

Except for more data, nothing has really changed. We still must educate ourselves on global epidemics, piracy, geopolitics and war \u2013 and plan accordingly. So considering the elevated risks in the Middle East, parts of South America, Africa and South East Asia, does that mean any passages in this area are too dangerous?<\/p>\n

The question makes me think of a talk I heard from a family of four who took the Red Sea short cut from Australia back home to France last year. They had no security aboard yet deemed it \u2018safe enough\u2019. In their case, it was. I have to say I found listening uncomfortable. For me, the trip would have been too much of a risk.<\/p>\n

In 2019 I did the reverse passage on Maiden<\/em><\/a> and felt like I was threading the needle of it being a good vs an idiotic choice. And that was with four armed security personnel on board. Once was enough.<\/p>\n

Article continues below\u2026<\/p>\n

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The inside story of Greta Thunberg\u2019s upwind Atlantic crossing on La Vagabonde<\/a><\/h2>\n<\/header>\n
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The sky flashed a blinding white light and a spark came down just a few hundred metres to port. We\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n