The black pearl

Disney is sponsoring a yacht called The Black Pearl as the U.S. entry in the Volvo Ocean Race. Its named after the title ship in Disney’s first Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

Disney coughed up an estimated $15 million-$18 million for the right to turn the 70-foot yacht into a floating billboard for the two upcoming Pirates sequels, which will reunite star Johnny Depp with costars Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley.

The Black Pearl, emblazoned with a skull-and-crossed-scabbards logo, sets sail Nov. 12 in Vigo, Spain. The eight-month race is due to finish in Gothenburg, Sweden, on June 17, three weeks before the first sequel, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, hits theaters on July 7. The premiere date is echoed in the boat’s number: 7706.