Indian Navy Officer Abhilash Tomy all set to circumnavigate the world and how! Solo and Non Stop!
New Delhi, July 2: After the ferocious and fearless six women officers of the Indian Navy successfully circumnavigated the globe on the sailing vessel, INSV Tarini, now its Naval officer Commander Abhilash Tomy will sail around the world, solo and non-stop.
The sailing is a part of the prestigious Golden Globe Race (GGR) that commenced from Les Sables d'Olonne harbor in France. Abhilash Tomy is the only officer to be chosen for the race from the whole of Asia. According to the rules, no boat designs or technology fresher than 1968 can be used for the same. Therefore, there can be no use of Global Positioning System (GPS), satellite communication and navigational aids.
The Golden Globe Race is being conducted by Sir Robin Knox Johnston of UK to commemorate 50 years since the world’s first solo non-stop circumnavigation undertaken by him in 1968 onboard the Indian built boat, Suhaili. The race is expected to complete at Les Sables d’Olonne in April 2019. The progress of the race can be viewed on the official GGR website (http://goldengloberace.com/)
"The uniqueness of the race is that boat designs and technology newer than 1968 are not permitted. Hence, the use of Global Positioning System (GPS), satellite communication, navigational aids, etc is forbidden," the Navy said in an official statement.
Abhilash Tomy is considered one of India's prominent sailors and a recipient of the Kirti Chakra is the only participant from Asia. He has already covered 53,000 nautical miles under sail, including a solo non-stop circumnavigation of the globe in 2012-13 on board Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) Mhadei.
According to a press release by the Ministry of Defence, the indigenously built sailing vessel ‘Thuriya’ has been built by M/s Aquarius Shipyard Ltd at Goa. The boat showcases India’s boat building capability on the world forum and promotes the ‘Make in India’ initiative. Thuriya stands for pure consciousness and is the background that transcends the three common states of consciousness, namely waking consciousness, dreaming and dreamless sleep.