The yacht «Brotherhood», which is sailing under the flags of the BRICS and the RGS, has successfully completed the Russian segment of its route. The vessel has passed the Aleutian Islands and is heading southwest towards Mexico.
On September 6, the sailing vessel with four Russian and seven Brazilian expedition members arrived in Anadyr, completing the most difficult stage of the expedition: a through passage along the Northern Sea Route (NSR). As the explorers noted, the passage of the Arctic straits has become an important contribution to the analysis of yacht tourism routes.
«In 2025, the ice situation in the NSR is not uniform: in the western part of the water area it is favorable for navigation, while in the eastern part there were difficult conditions,» said Sergei Shcherbakov, captain and head of the expedition from the Russian side, member of the Council of the Omsk Branch of the RGS. «The RGS provided great organizational support to the expedition, and high-quality information training and accurate maps of the ice situation helped determine the safest routes.»
The expedition set off on April 12 from the Brazilian port of Salvador, then traveled north across the Atlantic through the Azores Islands, where it made a stop. After that, the yacht circumnavigated Great Britain and Norway and arrived in Murmansk on June 22. Here, the crew has done a lot of technical work to prepare for the most difficult stage of the extreme circumnavigation of the world: the through passage of the Northern Sea Route. Due to the fact that the polar day has arrived, navigation conditions have improved. The crew decided to pass Novaya Zemlya from the north so as not to encounter the ice after the Kara Gates.
The sailing yacht with a strong steel hull has shown high reliability in Arctic conditions. After Murmansk, the crew made a 10-day crossing to the port of Dikson, the northernmost settlement in Russia. Here, the expedition got acquainted with local attractions, replenished food supplies, and waited for favorable weather conditions to pass the Vilkitsky Strait.
Sergei Shcherbakov and Aleixo Belov. Photo courtesy of Sergei Shcherbakov
On August 7, the yacht reached Cape Chelyuskin, the northern tip of Eurasia, rounded it and entered the Laptev Sea. The extensive experience of the crew allowed the expedition participants to land on the northernmost continental point of the Earth and explore the surroundings.
The further passage to the village of Tiksi in Yakutia took place in thin ice fields, which shifted the yacht’s route to the south. In Tiksi, where the vessel arrived on August 12, the villagers prepared an entertainment program for the international crew.
«Perhaps the first and only amateur match between representatives of Brazil and Yakutia in the history of football took place here,» said Aleixo Belov, captain of the Brazilian yacht. «The hospitable villagers of Tiksi provided the yacht with everything necessary: fuel, water, food, and the warmth of human communication, which is especially valuable when going through a difficult expedition route.»
Now the vessel is moving forward under the guidance of Brazilian navigator Aleixo Belov. Photo courtesy of Sergei Shcherbakov
After leaving Tiksi on August 16, due to storms, the «Brotherhood» passed around the Novosibirsk Islands instead of the route through the Laptev Strait. On the way, the expedition visited Bennett Island, famous not only for its walrus haulouts, but also for its rich history. It is associated with the search for the mythical Sannikov Land, as well as the expeditions of Eduard Toll and Aleksandr Kolchak. Off Ayon Island, on the approaches to Pevek, the vessel collided with dense ice fields, which «squeezed» the yacht out to the coast. The experience of the crew made it possible to reach the northernmost city of Russia without losses and in the shortest possible time. After Pevek, the expedition members had to continue moving through the Long Strait, which was under threat of being blocked by ice fields sliding south from Wrangel Island, after which the yacht sailed to Anadyr. The crew’s next goal is Cape Horn in South America, and the expedition will end at the starting point in Brazilian Salvador.
«The 'Brotherhood 2025–2026’ expedition, which was the first project of the RGS’s foreign Expeditionary Center opened in Salvador on the eve of the launch, is indeed an example of how joint projects help countries work on different tasks together,» says Natalya Belyakova, Director of the Expeditionary and Tourism Development Department. «The very name of the yacht, 'Brotherhood’, and sailing under the BRICS flag emphasize the desire for partnership. Science and research are beyond political borders, we are always focused on this and try to do everything possible for joint and fruitful work with other countries. We would like to wish the crew good luck on the new stage of the voyage!»
The expedition is dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, the 200th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and Brazil, the 20th anniversary of the formation of BRICS, and the 180th anniversary of the Russian Geographical Society. In 10 months, the crew will cover about 45,000 km.
Maria Buldakova