On a day when Indian Navy’s lt Cdr Abhilash Tomy wrote a new chapter in India’s rich Maritime history by becoming the first Indian to circumnavigate the Earth under sails, President Pranab Mukherjee led the Navy in according a grand welcome to the country’s first-ever non-stop solo sailor.
lt Cdr Tomy, a maritime reconnaissance pilot, arrived at the historic Gateway of India, to a rousing reception by brightly dressed schoolchildren and was accorded a ceremonial welcome by President Mukherjee, who is also the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of India, on Saturday afternoon. Maharashtra Governor K Sankaranarayanan, Navy Chief Admiral DK Joshi, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command, Vice Admiral Shekhar Sinha were also present to receive the new sailing icon.
Speaking on the occasion of ltd Cdr Tomy completing his mission “Sagar Parikrama-II”, the President said: “This rare achievement — the first by an Indian seafarer — showcases the spirit of determination, resolve and courage of both the individual and the organisation he represents…. I am sure that this achievement of lieutenant Commander Abhilash Tomy will continue to be a source of inspiration for future generations of young seafarers”.
lt Cdr Tomy had set sail out of Mumbai on November 1, 2012 in the sail boat INSV Mhadei on a voyage that no Indian had attempted before and few had dreamt of.
Overcome by emotion, and upon being received by the President himself, Abhilash Tomy said, his voyage was a fulfilment of 14 years of dream and 4 years of hard preparation. He thanked his mentors Vice Admiral M P Awati (Retd) and Cdr. Dilip Dhonde and also the builders of INSV Mhadei - Ratnakar Dandekar of Goa.
“To undertake crossing of the three Capes, i.e. Cape leeuwin, Cape Horn and Cape of Good Hope alone require courage, determination and grit of the highest order. ..His epic voyage has placed our nation into the ranks of a few select countries whose citizens have been successful in braving such an arduous voyage,” the President said.
“Battling wave heights of 9-10 metres and wind speeds in excess of 100 kmph can be an extreme test of endurance. The solitude factor alone is such that being thousands of kms away from the nearest land, with very little chance of help coming by if something went wrong, requires courage, determination and grit of the highest order,” the President said.
Sagar Parikrama-II
The entire voyage Abhilash Tomy of approx 22 thousand nautical miles, crossing the Indian, Southern, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans was done using sails and the power of the wind, without touching any Port and without any outside assistance. His route, from West to East, took him South of the continents of Australia, South America and Africa, thus rounding the three ‘Great Capes’; Cape leeuwin in Australia, Cape Horn in South America and Cape of Good Hope in Africa.
He crossed the International Date line on December 31, 2012, becoming the first Indian to usher in the year 2013 and also the last Indian to get in the year 2013, having had to reset his calendar on crossing the Date line! On 26 Jan 13, he unfurled the Indian Flag off Cape Horn, the farthest anyone was unfurling it that year! During the voyage, he had to weather temperatures from 4 to 40° C, often battling winds of over 125 Kmph and 10 meter high waves. At times he was over 4000 Km from the nearest land, all alone with only his trustworthy boat and indomitable spirit to rely on.
