The First Indian to Circumnavigate the World Solo in a Sail Boat
By Vishnudas
“Once during the voyage, I felt like not returning to the shore. I thought about doing it all over again...never ever did I think about giving up,” said Lt Commander Abhilash Tomy, the first Indian to circumnavigate the world solo in a sail boat.Interacting with the media at the Southern Naval Command here on Tuesday, the 34-year-old Naval officer from Tripunithura, termed the voyage as ‘fulfillment of a long-cherished dream’. “The voyage has instilled more patience, perseverance and humility in me,” he said.During the mission ‘Sagar Parikrama-II’, flagged off from Mumbai, Abhilash sailed around 23,100 nautical miles in a span of over 150 days from November 2012 to March 31, 2013. He is the first Indian and the second Asian to have achieved the rare feat. Only 79 people have circumnavigated the world solo so far.When asked what was the scariest moment during the voyage, the young hero said: “On February 19, I encountered the rough sea near the Cape of Good Hope.The winds were too strong and the waves were more than 10 ft high. The sail tore and managing the boat was a difficult task,” he said. During his voyage through piracy-prone areas, he was escorted by the Navy.Abhilash Tomy said that during the entire voyage, he followed a systematic schedule. “Weather planning was the most important and the first part of a day’s schedule. Based on the weather and the speed of wind, I used to plan the day ahead. I used to meditate on a regular basis and was following a polyphasic sleep cycle,” he pointed out.During the voyage, Abhilash communicated with the outside world through satellite communication system and his popular blog sagarparikrama2.blogspot.com. However, only once did he call his family - on his parents’ wedding anniversary.The young sailor advises youngsters to invest in themselves and also encourages them to take up sailing.“Across the globe, developed nations use sailing as a training activity. Ocean sailing gives you basic training that will last for your lifetime.“There’s no specific age group for taking up ocean sailing. Kerala, with its long coastline, can promote ocean sailing,” he observes.After the heroic feat, Abhilash looks forward to penning down his experiences and sharing it with the rest of the world through his book.Source: http://newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/Dream-come-true-Solo-sailor/2013/04/10/article1538190.ece