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FLANAGAN's route will take him along Russia's Northern Sea Route. Success will see Barrabas become the first British flagged yacht to sail Russia's Arctic coast and FLANAGAN, the first sailor to achieve this feat single-handed. The distance from Nome Alaska to Great Britain is 4,800 miles, the first 2,000 miles of which will be through ice-strewn waters. The Russian government has granted FLANAGAN special permission to make the attempt. Sir Robin KNOX-JOHNSTON (GBR), who achieved the first single-handed, non-stop circumnavigation in 1969, has described FLANAGAN's Alpha Global Expedition as, 'A serious challenge'.

Expedition Manager and FLANAGAN's ex-wife, Louise says, 'The Alpha Global Expedition Arctic Phase is the greatest challenge of the voyage. The Russian Government has shown vision and imagination in granting Adrian unprecedented access to their territorial waters'.

FLANAGAN will be assisted by Canadian firm MDA which operates two space satellites, Radarsat I and II. Images of the ice edge will be taken relative to FLANAGAN's position and the data fed to the expedition base. Routing directions will then be communicated to FLANAGAN on board Barrabas.

The navigable window in the high Arctic is very short and if FLANAGAN clears the ice fields he should be mooring up at The Royal Southern Yacht Club in the Hamble River in early September.