Chinese skipper sets new record with fastest Arctic voyage

Guo Chuan and his crew members celebrate the accomplishment of the sail by demonstrating a Chinese national flag on the trimaran Qingdao China. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

"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," said Guo, a 50-year-old Qingdao native.

However, the start of the voyage was treacherous as strong wind blew heavily in the first three days so Guo decided to pilot the trimaran to a more southerly route into the Kara Sea.

After sailing among growlers and icebergs across the Laptev Sea, the crew experienced the extreme coldness and gust on the East Siberia Sea. Sunshine welcomed them on the Chukchi Sea and it took them only over a day to reach the finish line between the Cape Dezhnev and the Big Diomede Island on the Bering Strait.

Looking back at the 13 days' voyage, Guo said, "I feel very proud of myself and my crew. It is a challenging and tough journey especially we were surrounded by ice and gusts under the extreme cold weather.

"The boat was bumping like roller-coaster sometimes and seemed totally out of control. For several times, when we were in a very difficult situation, I suspected whether we could go further. But thanks to our determination and all brave and excellent crew, we overcome the difficult time together and finally made it."

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.