Russians travel from the Pacific to the Arctic Ocean in amphibian off-road vehicles

Participants of the 2010 Shintop Trophy expedition set a new world record and hope to be recognized by the Guinness Book of Records with their unique car race from the Pacific to the Arctic Ocean in amphibian off-road vehicles.
The world’s first ‘amphibian’ expedition kicked off on July 1 in Yakutsk. Three crews driving three off-road vehicles nicknamed Stremitelny (Swift), Avos’ (On the Off Chance) and Nautilus covered nearly 5,000 km by land and almost 2,000 km on water down the Kolyma River in the course of only one month.
The cars’ transformation into watercraft took place at the mouth of the Kolyma River in the Seimchan village, the Magadan Region. Extra boat engines and air tanks allowed the cars to float at the speed of 10 kmh.Despite the obstacles such as the Kolyma rapids, frequent repairs and upgrades during the travel, the expedition finally reached its destination, the Ambarchik Arctic station on the shore of a bay in the Arctic Ocean, where the travelers swam in the ocean as part of their initiation into Arctic explorers.
The expedition broke a record that was confirmed by the Russian Committee for Registering World Records. The information will now be sent to the International Committee of the Guinness Book of Records.