horizon, turned up about an hour ago, making steady progress, getting through. it s nine nautical miles from the vessel. a huge sense of relief at moment. it not quite here. at least we can see it, which is a huge improvement, prospect, from a few hours ago. a big tease now. martin fletcher following the story all day from london. was the latest? anyone who thinks that ice moves slowly should think again. when the ship got stuck two days ago, it was two miles from the ocean. the ice has built up so quickly, without moving, the ship is now 13 miles from the open sea. strong winds are packing the ice. but help is in sight, barely. reporter: the best christmas present the research ship could be free soon, as long as wind doesn t pick up. this is the windiest place on earth. you can t see it on camera but the dot across the packed ice, that s the snow dragon, client niece ice breaker, cutting a channel at the rate of two knots