Guo is happy that he has managed to complete the voyage as part of a campaign to promote peace through sport. (Photo : Want China Times)
Chinese skipper Guo Chuan once aspired to circumnavigate the world through one of the most treacherous ocean passages in the world. After 13 days of life-threatening voyage across the Northeast Passage, what was once a dream is now a reality.
Guo and his international crew embarked on this special journey around noon on Sept. 3 from the Russian port city of Murmansk and finally reached Bering Strait, their finish line, on Sept. 15, Tuesday.
Guo and his five-member crew are the first people to circumnavigate the globe aboard a racing trimaran called Qingdao China via the Arctic Ocean's Northeast Passage. The passage is a shorter route compared to current shipping lines, but much more challenging.
The first few days of the voyage were met with strong gales, which forced the team to venture into the Kara Sea, a more southerly route. The team was able to reach Laptev Sea and its icebergs shortly after and eventually reached the extreme cold of the East Siberia Sea. It was in Chukchi Sea when the sun shone on the sailing team again. Guo and his teammates finally reached Bering Strait after a day.
According to accounts, German crew member Boris took out a white board where Guo wrote, "Arctic Ocean, Northeast Passage, World Record, 15 September, 2015" to commemorate the special event.
"I'm so on the top of the world. It's such an unbelievable moment. Even two months ago, I wouldn't have imagined I could have a moment like this. It is a moment that could only happen in a dream," Guo said.
Guo is also happy that he has managed to complete the voyage as part of a campaign to promote peace through sport.
"This is an international team. The crew is from China, France, Germany and Russia. Obviously we come from different cultures, but we still work together and made a great voyage successfully," he said.
"I want to spread the message of peace to more people. Now in the world, there are still nations at war, but we want to show people that people from diversified backgrounds can do things together."
