One year after the announcement of his birth, Selar Selar is already preparing its first polar expedition for November 2026. In a world where expedition cruising has become a market and sometimes a product, Selar is taking a radically different path. The young French company is no longer content with conceptual promises: its first ship, Captain Arctic, is now an industrial reality under construction, embodying a new vision of polar travel: understated, committed, sensory, and almost philosophical.
Co-founded by Sophie GalvagnonAs the first female captain of polar expedition vessels, Selar doesn't seek to do "more" than others, but to do things differently. Her ambition is clear: to offer near-zero-emission Arctic expeditions without sacrificing the emotional power of adventure. A rare promise in the world of exploration yachting, where technology is often used for performance, rarely for meaning.
Recognized for her expertise in navigating icy waters, her career as a captain of expedition ships, and her commitment to reinventing Arctic travel with a reduced ecological footprint, she is joined on this project by Julia Bijaoui et Quentin Vacherentrepreneurs who helped to realize Selar's vision by co-founding the company with her.
Captain Arctic: a manifesto ship
Measuring 70 meters long, propelled by the wind and powered by solar energy, Captain Arctic is designed for only 36 travelers per expedition. This choice is not insignificant. It reflects a desire for exclusivity, but above all, for depth. Here, the experience is not diluted by the crowd. It is lived as an intimate immersion in the wildest landscapes on the planet.
One year after the project's launch, Selar has reached a major milestone: the ship's hull is complete and launched, while the electric motors, battery banks, waste treatment systems, and scientific equipment are ready for integration. The five large aluminum sails, the project's signature aesthetic and technological feature, are currently being manufactured. Every detail is monitored daily by Selar's engineering team, employing a near-artisanal approach despite the industrial complexity.
« We are not just building a ship; we are laying the foundations for an experiment that is meant to last. " says Sophie Galvagnon, recalling the moment when the hull touched the water for the first time, an instant she describes as overwhelming.
Un lifestyle wool
On board, Selar promises more than just spectacular scenery. It offers a true culture of travel. The interiors blend Scandinavian minimalism, handcrafted finishes, and artworks integrated into the ship's narrative. Nothing is decorative. Everything is intentional. Each material speaks of a use, a durability, a relationship to the slower pace of time—the time of ice, silence, and slowness.
Gastronomy plays a vital role in this sensory experience. The cuisine is warm and refined, blending French roots, Nordic influences, and international ingredients. Lunches on the ice, barbecues under the Northern Lights, freshly caught Arctic sushi, cocktails hidden in the ship's nooks and crannies: Selar is inventing a lifestyle polar where emotion is also conveyed through taste.
Expeditions that tell a story other than kilometers
The inaugural season will open in Norway before heading to Svalbard, with trips designed as true narrative experiences. From chasing the Northern Lights with photographer Virgil Reglioni to polar immersions guided by explorer and filmmaker Caroline Côté, survival expeditions, or adventures in wild waters, each departure becomes a story, each guide a conduit of meaning.
1. Expeditions to Norway, winter and early year seasons (January – February 2027)
Selar offers several itineraries around the Norwegian coast, designed to take advantage of the diversity of polar landscapes and outdoor activities.
The main theme is the hunt for the Northern LightsThis expedition includes a crossing of the Norwegian fjords in winter or late autumn, when the polar night is at its peak and the celestial glow is reflected in the icy waters. It also features outings on skis, snowshoes, kayaks, or paddleboards to experience the landscapes from multiple perspectives, as well as snowshoeing and other sensory experiences on land.
Another specific route in Norway focuses on wild waters with Arthur Guérin-Boëri, record holder for dynamic apnea under the ice. This expedition offers opportunities for polar snorkeling in low temperatures and a more intimate exploration of the Arctic depths.
Norway is also the scene of experiments centered on encounters with orcas and whales, facilitated by the seasonal migration of cetaceans to these food-rich waters.
2. Svalbard, Arctic Archipelago, spring and summer seasons
Svalbard, beyond the Arctic Circle, is one of Selar's primary exploration territories. These cruises (March – August 2027) take advantage of the changing Arctic conditions depending on the time of year.
Svalbard under the midnight sun is a 12-day summer expedition (July – August) that emphasizes complete immersion in the most pristine Arctic nature, under the sun that never sets. Activities include watching polar bears, walruses, reindeer, whales and seals, zodiac excursions, ice hikes, and polar dives.
In the spring, programs like Surviving with Loury Lag are designed as extreme expeditionsGuided by renowned explorers and designed to recreate the experiences of the great polar pioneers, this type of journey emphasizes endurance, survival skills, and active exploration of the glacial environment.
Rise of the White Kingdom This is another approach to Svalbard in spring, combining ice exploration, skiing with a pulka, kayaking, and guided tours led by polar environment experts. The itinerary focuses on the awakening of wildlife after the long Arctic night and offers a program for observing rare natural phenomena.
3. Greenland, Arctic autumn
For the season September-October 2027Selar offers an expedition to the Greenland, targeting late summer/autumn landscapes, characterized by spectacular icebergs, colorful tundras and ice-shaped coastal contours.
This cruise includes interactions with Inuit culturehiking in sparsely populated areas, as well as a variety of water activities such as kayaking or free diving in Arctic waters devoid of dense sea ice at this time of year.
In all cases, these expeditions are structured around a philosophy ofimmersive explorationThe itinerary is flexible and adapts daily to weather conditions, observed wildlife, and safety requirements, with the aim of maximizing time spent on land or engaged in activities. The small group size (maximum 36 passengers) fosters a personalized experience, strong bonds between participants and guides, and genuine immersion in polar ecosystems.
Beyond tourism, Selar is committed to sustainable scientific and environmental partnerships, notably with the NGO ORCA for the ethical observation of marine mammals, and Clean Up Svalbard for the collection of plastics on the Arctic coasts from 2027. Travel thus becomes an act, not just consumption.
A community before a product
Behind Selar, there are more than 3,000 people mobilized—engineers, craftspeople, scientists, polar guides, designers, sailors, explorers—united by a common conviction: exploration can be ambitious without being predatory. The creation of a "North Stars" community, bringing together explorers, photographers, and committed opinion leaders, structures a new form of participatory, almost initiatory, travel.
Captain Arctic's new hull color, a gradient of blues inspired by the sky, ice and the abyssal ocean, embodies this philosophy: a ship that does not impose itself on the landscape but blends into it, while bringing a new energy to it.
Towards a new era of expedition yachting
Twelve months after its unveiling, Selar is no longer just a concept. It's a movement, a vision embodied in steel, sails, and the silence of the ice. With expeditions starting at €6,780 per person for seven days all-inclusive, the company positions itself in a premium segment, but one that carries a rare value: that of a luxury that is not simply bought, but experienced as a conscience.
In a world saturated with offerings, Selar reminds us that true luxury today is no longer about excess. It's about precision. The future of polar yachting could well begin here, on a solar-powered sailboat that moves silently, yet with considerable symbolic significance.
Patrick Koune
