The Fifth International Arctic Sailing Regatta will be held in the Arctic in June and July 2016. Adventure Race 80dg participants will sail Russian inland waters from St. Petersburg to Arkhangelsk and then from Arkhangelsk to Spitsbergen (Svalbard). The details were announced by yachtsman Daniil Gavrilov at a meeting of the public commission of the Polar Explorers' Association at the 5^th International Forum ‘The Arctic: Today and the Future.'

"This will be quite a challenge mainly for the captains as they will have to navigate their yachts through ice. Also, the Barents Sea is usually stormy at this time of year," Gavrilov was quoted by TASS.

These extreme conditions require that the boats use the necessary technical equipment. Every yacht must have at least one satellite telephone and a back-up steering system. "There's a whole book of requirements for this race," Daniil Gavrilov said.

Five teams have already signed up for the 2016 regatta. "We're departing from St. Petersburg the first week of June. Then we go to Shlisselburg, Valaam, Kizhi, Petrozavodsk, Solovki and Arkhangelsk. The 110 nautical mile race is scheduled for July 3-19," the yachtsman added.