Organizers of the Volvo Ocean Race are shipping five sailboats through the Indian Ocean on an armed transport vessel due to piracy concerns.

The 15-ton yachts with 31-meter masts were loaded onto a ship Wednesday at an undisclosed location before leaving on a journey to Sharjah off the coast of the United Arab Emirates.

Organizers of the around-the-world race say they decided not to allow the event to sail parts of the Indian Ocean due to increased threats by pirates.

Three more loading-unloading operations will have to be completed at other stages of the event.

The Volvo Ocean Race started in Alicante, Spain in October and ends in Galway, Ireland next July.