Bellot Strait became an early test of timing and patience
After leaving Burnett Inlet, Vanuily headed toward Port Bowen and Fort Ross before waiting for the correct tide, wind and ice conditions at Bellot Strait. The narrow passage is subject to strong currents and fast-moving ice, making timing more important than simply pressing on according to a fixed schedule.
On 11 August, Anne and Hugues entered the strait during a favourable window and continued toward Franklin Strait. Allures reports that the pair still had roughly 2,200 nautical miles to travel before reaching the Bering Strait, underlining how early in the overall expedition this difficult gateway appeared.
Ice charts dictated progress through the Beaufort Sea
Vanuily moved on through Cambridge Bay, Cape Bathurst and Tuktoyaktuk before entering the Beaufort Sea, where ice once again became the dominant operational consideration. The crew monitored ice charts and forecasts closely, waiting when required and moving whenever a safer corridor opened along the route.
At Pauline Cove on Herschel Island, Vanuily paused with other yachts attempting the passage. The boat later continued west as openings appeared in the pack, demonstrating the kind of flexible route planning that aluminium bluewater yachts are designed to support in remote cruising areas.
Rounding Point Barrow turned the route south
After further weather delays, Vanuily reached Point Barrow at the northern tip of Alaska and rounded it at 70 degrees 30 minutes north. From there the route changed direction decisively, with the yacht heading south through the Chukchi Sea while low-pressure systems continued to dictate when the crew could move.
Anne and Hugues crossed the Arctic Circle southbound 49 days after first crossing it in the opposite direction. Under the sporting rules cited by Allures, that southbound crossing marked the formal completion of the Northwest Passage even though the yacht still had the Bering Strait and the final leg to Nome ahead.
Nome closes the passage but not the wider voyage
Vanuily entered Nome behind the Garcia Explocat 52 Hafiz, with the two yachts completing formalities and celebrating after reaching the Pacific side of the passage. Allures says the expedition was completed by Anne and Hugues as a two-person crew navigating through ice, difficult weather windows and thousands of miles of remote water.
The yacht's programme continues beyond the achievement itself. The owners still need to organise winter storage and post-passage maintenance, a reminder that completing a route of this scale is followed immediately by inspection, servicing and preparation for whatever cruising programme comes next.
Official sources: www.allures.com.
