Arctic expedition to research climate change sets sail under the Jersey flag

The only boat to have twice circumnavigated the Arctic Circle is gearing up for a third expedition, this time sailing under the Jersey flag.

The Northabout, which was last owned by the adventurer Sir David Hempleman-Adams, completed the route in just over four months in 2016.

The new owners, Unu Mondo, set sail on their first research expedition to Greenland last summer, gathering testimonies on climate change and setting up weather monitoring stations.

For their next expedition, the crew will navigate around the Arctic Circle between 2024 and 2025, but will first be starting new research this summer in Iceland.

Researchers from the University of Reykjavik will set up hydrophones to monitor the impact of new commercial port on the whale population.

Unu Mondo was set up in 2018 by Jersey-born Tobias Carter and Sophie Simonin with the aim of facilitating scientific research into climate change and communicating with the public.

The pair, who had limited sailing experience and no scientific background, spent the first lockdown raising sponsorship and repairing the cracked hull of Northabout.

They have now assembled a team of scientists and experts to assist with the voyage and research.

On its way to the UK, the boat stopped in Jersey for several weeks and the crew gave talks to hundreds of school children on the island about climate change.

Students at Beaulieu, Les Quennevais and Haute Vallée learned how temperatures in the Arctic Circle are increasing three times faster than the rest of the planet.

As a result the ice is melting, which is not only endangering polar bear populations, but causing sea levels to rise.

The groups were encouraged to discuss ways to limited their impact on the environment by adapting how they eat and travel.

Watch Hollie Goodall's report for ITV Channel TV: