According to a report issued by the Chamber of Shipping of British Columbia, Canada, in its news round-up of 19 August a new speed record for reaching the North Pole has been set by Russia’s nuclear icebreaker 50 Let Pobedy, which made the passage from Murmansk to the North Pole in just 79 hours. It was reported that during the transit, the vessel hosted a conference dedicated to Arctic issues with a key topic being the economic worth of developing yearround navigation on the Northern Sea Route.