Russian and Brazilian yachtsmen to sail around world under BRICS flag

The round-the-world expedition "Brotherhood-2025" will start from Salvador in the Brazilian state of Bahia and will return at the end of February 2026. The details of the voyage were told by captain Sergey Shcherbakov at a press conference in the international multimedia centre "Eurasia Today".

Yachtsmen will conduct the expedition on the sailing vessel Fraternidade, which means "Brotherhood" in Portuguese. It was designed by Brazilian Aleisha Belov, who has already completed five round-the-world voyages under sail. The 21.5 metre long yacht can accommodate up to 12 people.

"Our expedition is dedicated to BRICS. In my opinion, it is the most important association in the world. It includes many countries, including Brazil and Russia, and these states play a key role in international relations," Belov said, speaking at an online press conference.

The crew will cover about 24,000 nautical miles (45,000 kilometres) with calls at the northernmost and southernmost points of the Earth. The route will also pass through the Azores, Iceland, Spitsbergen and Murmansk.

Captain Shcherbakov has already visited Brazil to familiarise himself with the yacht's structure and crew. He said that nine people, a mixed crew of Brazilians and Russians, will set sail. At the same time, the crew will change on the way.

The team will be engaged in scientific and environmental research, as well as shooting a documentary film. This is reported by "Omsk Zdes", a partner of TV BRICS. 

"The very fact of the expedition is a positive political effect for the two countries. I would like to bring a great scientific benefit as well [...] I am not a scientist, but this component will be present. What we can measure and record, we will do. There will be meetings at each port of call where we will communicate with people. One of the main tasks is to reinforce the positive image of Russia," Shcherbakov said.

The captain noted that among the reasons for the unique voyage is the approaching 200th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and Brazil. According to him, now the ship is almost fully prepared for the voyage: there are still organisational issues to be solved, including obtaining permission for the passage along the Northern Sea Route.

Photo: iStock