'The Pacific crossing was the longest and toughest leg. Temperatures dropped near zero and they navigated through two cyclones.'
Sailing legend Commander Abhilash Tomy, Kirti Chakra, was coach and mentor to Lieutenant Commanders Dilna and Roopa, the two naval officers who returned home after an 8-month historic voyage around the globe.
The duo is the first Indian two-woman team to circumnavigate the earth under sail -- depending solely on wind power.
Only 8 other Indians have done it before them.
Commander Tomy is one of them.
Now retired from the Indian Navy, Commander Tomy became the first Indian to do a solo-non-stop circumnavigation in 2013.
After being caught in a violent storm and conquering near death at sea in the Golden Globe Race in 2018, he made seafaring history by coming second in the world's most difficult ocean race in 2023.
Commander Tomy trained Lieutenant Commanders Dilna and Roopa in theories of sailing, weather, navigation, GMDSS, emergencies, boat systems etc in a classroom before moving on to sailing sorties.
The training was rigorous, with each aspect of evolutions, exploitation of equipment, navigation emergencies, weather etc.
During the voyage, he travelled to ports in Australia and New Zealand to check on the boat and crew.
When they returned, he was present at the dock to receive them with pride.
In an interview to Rediff's Archana Masih, Commander Tomy gives an account of what went behind the voyage and how the two women executed "a textbook circumnavigation, with the boat returning to the finish line scratchless."
How long did you advise and train the two officers before departure?
I had a structured approach to training. The crew had sailed to Brazil and back previously, but that was not sufficient for them to undertake a circumnavigation on their own.
I introduced them to theories of sailing, weather, navigation, GMDSS, emergencies, boat systems etc in a classroom first before showing all this in the boat.
After that, we moved on to sailing sorties. After 2 or 3 sorties, they took the boat out on their own and returned.
This was followed by a passage to Karwar, where I sailed with them. The crew sailed the return leg by themselves.
Following this, they sailed to Port Blair via various stops and returned, before making a longer passage to Port Louis in Mauritius.
All the while, I would go through their preparations, brief and debrief after each passage. This was considered sufficient for them to start the circumnavigation.
The training was quite rigorous, with each aspect of evolutions, exploitation of equipment, emergencies etc repeated multiple times both theoretically and practically.
How often could you say in touch with them during the 8 months?
We were connected through satellite Internet. WhatsApp messages and calls were quite frequent. Besides, I met them at their first and second stops to check on the boat and crew. This was at Fremantle, Australia, and then Lyttelton, New Zealand.
What was that like?
Fremantle was to check the state of the boat, which was sailing for the first time after a major refit, and also assess the state of the crew.
The second visit to Lyettelton was made to ensure that the boat and crew were well-prepared to undertake the Pacific crossing, which I believe was the longest and toughest leg.
What is it that amazes you most about their circumnavigation?
Undoubtedly, they executed a textbook circumnavigation, with the boat returning to the finish line scratchless, not giving away any indication of having gone around the world.
What were some of the most difficult moments of their voyage?
I cannot speak on behalf of the crew, but as a mentor and coach, it would be the Pacific crossing, which was the most extended and loneliest leg, where the crew was expected to face the worst weather in the expedition.
This leg had no diversionary ports, and it included rounding Cape Horn.
Each leg had diversionary ports, better weather etc, but the pacific leg was the one with no diversionary ports enroute which posed a significant challenge given the fact that the passage was to be sailed in the Southern Ocean conditions entirely.
The weather got bad as the crew and boat headed further south, with the temperatures dropping to near zero.
Add to it, they had to navigate around two cyclones.
Were there any aspects of their journey different from the ones you have undertaken?
Compared to my voyage in the Golden Globe Race, the route was shorter, the boat was bigger, and it was full of technology.
Besides, my voyages have been nonstop.
What was the first thing they said to you on arrival in Goa?
We just hugged. I was obviously very proud. I ended the day with a debrief of their last leg.
What larger impact is this voyage going to have on the Indian Navy and for the nation?
This was the fourth iteration of the hugely successful Sagar Praikrama programme, which was kick-started by the Indian Navy in 2009.
With each expedition, the navy became more ambitious. As a result, interest in sailing has considerably increased in the country.
Not only that, but through these expeditions, the navy has also been able to show a glimpse of the oceans to a previously sea-blind nation.
To give a sense of logistics -- how many kgs of food, litres of water etc can be carried on a particular leg? How did the ladies stay in touch with family and navy on the high seas?
Each leg was of a different length. I am sure the crew had a plan when they made the rationing plan. I provided them with a guideline to follow, but left the details to their discretion.
One of the challenges was to find the right kind of food in various ports.
Did the boat suffer any damage? Will Tarini be getting some rest before it takes to the sea again?
There will be a few minor issues with the boat since she has just come back from a long sail, but barring that I do not see anything alarming.
The ship has been very well looked after, and she has fared very well!
Yes, she will need a thorough look before she can go to sea again.
Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff
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