Chinese skipper goes through the Northeast Passage, sets new record

Twelve days and three hours! 3,240 nautical miles. Guo Chuan, a voyager from China, along with his team members went through the Northeast Passage of the Arctic, sailing on a trimaran called Qingdao China.

They completed a nonstop voyage through the Arctic Ocean, setting a world record for the fastest across-the-Arctic navigation.

"We succeeded in a nearly perfect way. It's such an unparalleled achievement. This is a proud moment for me and all of my crew members. I praise everyone in my team and those who support us," said Guo, a 50-year-old Qingdao native.

The Northeast Passage of the Arctic is known as a "legendary passage" in the Arctic. The Arctic pack ice prevented regular marine shipping throughout most of the year. Changes in the pack ice caused by climate change have rendered the waterways more navigable.

On Sept. 3, 2015, Guo and his crew members started off from Russian port city Murmansk. Guo and his fellows had overcome different difficulties in the past 13 days including iceberg, severe cold, heave smog, humidity and squall.

Guo said that all the advanced devices on the trimaran were out of order due to extreme weather condition. Therefore, they had to go straight forward depending on their intelligence and experiences.

Meanwhile, interpersonal relationship was another challenge for Guo. "All of my crew members were the world's top skippers," said Guo, "It was a challenge for me to coordinate the relationship between them."

The result of Qingdao China's voyage will be delivered to World Sailing Speed Record Council for validation and the world record announcement will be officially confirmed later.