Pirates have taken hostage the crew of a French sailing cruise ship off the coast of Somalia. The 288-foot, three-masted Le Ponant was en route from the Seychelles to the Mediterranean when it was boarded on Saturday by a group of 10 pirates armed with automatic weapons and rocket launchers. The ship can carry 64 passengers but only the crew of 30—mostly French, and including six women—were on board.

The French government condemned the attack as a “blatant act of piracy.” On Sunday, French authorities said they had contacted the crew, who indicated that no one had been hurt in the attack. The French and Canadian navies are monitoring the situation and Le Ponanat was seen moored in the Somali port of Eyl, described as a safe haven for pirates.

Foreign minister Bernard Kouchner said he wants to resolve the situation without bloodshed and expects lengthy negotiations. Ransoms of up to a million dollars have been paid in similar situations.

Piracy is on the increase in the Gulf of Aden, especially off the Somali coast. There were 31 incidents reported last year, compared to 10 in 2006.