In 2014, as a result of Garcia Yachts’ collaboration with famous explorer Jimmy Cornell, the Exploration 45 was literally designed for the Northwest Passage. 10 years on, and 3 examples are currently waiting for the right moment to attempt this rarely-frequented route.

Located north of the American continent, inside the Arctic Circle, this wide maritime space is a sort of corridor that crosses Canada’s Arctic Archipelago along the north coast of the Americas, offering several possible routes between the different islands. Its straits and bays become ice-free in summer, allowing ships to pass through. But passage is never guaranteed: even more than icebergs, it is the “pack ice”, floating areas of ice that can block passage and sometimes even dangerously encircle sailing ships. Caught by the force of the ice, some have even been known to unfortunately sink.

Source: Wikipedia

Every year, between 10 and 20 yachts attempt the passage. In 2023, a mild year, 21 yachts made it through, whereas in 2003, of the 7 that attempted the passage, only 2 made it through. It should be noted that while the majority of candidates set off heading west, some do the opposite, leaving from Alaska. There are a few Inuit villages along the way, but no infrastructure or services, so any yachts embarking on this adventure must be totally self-sufficient!

Credit: Hector John Periquin

While it’s true that global warming is causing the ice to melt irretrievably, that doesn’t make the passage any easier. The ice is thinner than it used to be in the Canadian Arctic, but this very thin ice breaks apart more readily: it is transported by winds and currents in proportions that are difficult to predict. In 2022, the ice completely blocked the Northwest Passage.

At the beginning of August 2024, the 3 Garcia Exploration 45s are sailing up the west coast of Greenland, waiting for the right moment to enter Lancaster Sound. For the moment, the gateway to the passage is reasonably ice-free, but there is still plenty of ice further east. So, patience is required, giving them time to enjoy the superb fjords and glaciers of Greenland.

This Garcia fleet is very international: HAURU, N°35 is sailed by her Polish owner, NIGHT OWL, N°27, by her English owner, and VOYAGER, N°38, is home to her Swiss owners, who’ve been joined by a couple of Canadian friends… themselves owners of N°44, CHINOOK, left behind this time, on the other side of the Atlantic in Cherbourg, France.

You can follow the progress of their extreme adventure with us: