Zhai Mo sets sail on voyage around Antarctica

On October 10, renowned navigator Zhai Mo left Bailianjing Port in Shanghai to begin an extraordinary journey around Antarctica along the Antarctic Circle – without using engine power.

Aboard his two-masted ocean-going sailboat, "Zhai Mo No. 1," he will depend solely on wind to cover an estimated 36,000 nautical miles (about 66,000 kilometers) over the course of a year.

At the departure ceremony, Zhai Mo presented the expedition plan and his crew before officially kicking off what is set to be a landmark voyage in global sailing history.

According to the plan, the sailboat will sail through the East China Sea and the South Pacific Ocean, cross the strong westerlies, and take advantage of favorable Antarctic summer sea ice and wind conditions to attempt a full circumnavigation along the Antarctic Circle.

The crew plans to navigate the Drake Passage by the end of 2025 and visit China's Antarctic research stations – Great Wall Station, Zhongshan Station, and Qinling Station – around the Spring Festival of 2026, before heading back to Shanghai.