Three years ago, Vagabond left Brittany and sailed to Spitsbergen. There, she just finished her third wintering, she was again frozen in ice for about nine months. This year also, summer will be short: sailing in the fjords in August, then supplying and maintaining the boat in September. Early October will already start the fourth wintering, still in Inglefield Bay, on the east coast of the island. This is where, with our three dogs, we are welcoming scientists, about twenty yet since 2004. They come to understand and forecast climate change in the Arctic, particularly the future of the pack ice, within European project Damocles. Sport expeditions are also using Vagabond's wintering location, where their supplies can wait for them safely. Photographers, cameramen or artists as well, who enjoy the unique setting of our polar 'oasis', can show about our missions. Among the 494 polar bears seen in three
years, tempted by the many seals basking on the ice sometimes very close to
the yacht, only one climbed on the deck. We are living together nicely in this fragile environment which we enjoy and protect as much as we can, using wind generator and solar panels, as well as dog sledge, skis and even snowkite. However, the great adventure this year for us was to welcome our little daughter Léonie, born at the end of the polar night, just before the launch of the International Polar Year!

To better share our experience, we will be replaced on board Vagabond for the first part of the next polar night, and we will be in France for some events:
- coming out of the book 'Circumpolaris, Vagabond dans l'Arctique', published by      Glénat early October (not yet in English)

- International Adventure Film Festival, from 11 to 13 October in Dijon
- Oceanographic Adventure Film Festival, from 26 October to 4 November in Brest
- Paris Boat Show, from 1 to 9 December
- exhibition 'Voyages to the Poles', until March 2008 in Brest
For more information, please check regularly the web page
www.vagabond.fr/actualites.

Greetings from Spitsbergen!

France Pinczon du Sel et Eric Brossier

More about on going project: www.vagabond.fr/spitsberg2006-2008.en
Logbook: www.vagabond.fr/news
Third wintering photo album: www.vagabond.fr/album/Spitsberg2006
Our partners: www.vagabond.fr/partenaires