Disney boat deal promotes Pirates

Disney hope to raise the profile of the film before its release

Disney is backing an entry in the Volvo round-the-world yacht race to promote the sequel to its hit film Pirates of the Caribbean.

The 70ft (21.3m) yacht - Pirates of the Caribbean II - is being nicknamed the Black Pearl after the ship captained on screen by Johnny Depp.

The sponsorship deal is estimated to have cost Disney at least $15m (£8.4m).

The nine-leg race starts on 12 November in Vigo, Spain and ends seven months later in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, which also stars Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley, is the first of two sequels to the original film.

It is scheduled for release in the US in July next year.

Boosting interest

The sails of Pirates of the Caribbean II carry the film's logo and a picture of a monster from the story is featured on its hull.

The yacht's skipper Paul Cayard led EF Language to victory in the 1997-98 race.

"I like the pirate theme," he said. "We're definitely fully into it, but we're not changing who we are. We're still professional sailors."

Volvo Ocean Race organisers are also hoping the Pirates of the Caribbean II entry will help boost interest in the sport.