Navy officer to attempt to sail solo non-stop around the world

Lieutenant Commander Abhilash Tomy, 33, a naval aviator of the Indian Navy, dreams of being the first Indian to complete a non-stop solo circumnavigation across the globe when he sets sail on the Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) Mhadei, and leaves the Mumbai port on November 1.

Lieutenant Commander Abhilash Tomy, 33, a naval aviator of the Indian Navy, dreams of being the first Indian to complete a non-stop solo circumnavigation across the globe when he sets sail on the Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) Mhadei, and leaves the Mumbai port on November 1.

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During his journey, he will travel 21,600 nautical miles or 40,000 kilometres and remain at sea for about six months. The movement of his boat will solely depend on the speed of wind. Only 80 others have achieved this feat on a sail boat before Tomy.

"As a cadet, I had read a book about solo circumnavigations, and races. This spurred my interest in a non-stop solo circumnavigation," said Tomy.

Tomy wishes to use his journey to generate interest and create awareness about sailing among Indians. The Indian Navy has also granted permission to Tomy to write a blog and update his experiences on a social networking site during the sail.

"We received nearly 1 lakh hits a week, when Commander Dilip Donde undertook the first solo circumnavigation of the globe in 2010. Through my experiences, I can attract the youth to take up sea faring," said Tomy.

Tomy, who had assisted Commander Donde with preparations for his solo circumnavigation, will not make any stops for food or replenishment during the voyage, and will have to undertake repair and maintenance work, that the boat may suffer, by himself.