Interesting news from France24.com:

A French sports group on Saturday announced plans to launch a sailing race in the thawing Canadian Arctic to raise awareness of global warming.

Due to kick-off in 2023, the North Pole Race will be run from Quebec to Vancouver along the Northwest Passage, a sea route through the Arctic Ocean along North America’s northern course.

Crews will sail on special aluminum boats designed for polar waters, according to Herve Favre, president of the French group OC Sport.

“The North Pole Race will make the world population aware of sustainable development and the importance of acting now to save our environment,” Quebec City Mayor Regis Labeaume said last week, when the race was first reported.

Quebec City’s municipal government said in a statement that the North Pole Race will bring together teams from 10 countries, including Canada, China, Russia, France, and Denmark. Each team will consist of a scientist, an experienced skipper, and citizens of the country it is representing.

This race “could not have existed without global warming, because the melting ice in the Northwest Passage makes it possible to travel along this strategic nautical route,” a statement from Quebec City said.

Passing through the Canadian archipelago, a vast network of isolated and inhospitable islands located beyond the Arctic Circle, the Northwest Passage saves ships approximately 7,000 kilometers (4,300 miles) of the distance between Europe and Asia. But the lack of infrastructure, the remoteness of emergency services, and the limited cartography of the Arctic Ocean make navigation in these waters very perilous.

Thanks to Irwin Bryan for contributing to this post.