Navy officer Tomy eyes another sailing glory
Earlier this month, Commander Abhilash Tomy of the Navy put out a message on Facebook announcing his profile will go ‘silent’ beginning July 1.
This is not one of the fashionable social media detox breaks for Tomy, the only Indian to circumnavigate the world solo in a non-motorised boat without a stop.
The 2013 feat ensured that the 39-year-old Tomy gets invited
to participate in the Golden Globe Race (GGR) involving a similar circumnavigation of the globe, starting from a French harbour on July 1.
Tomy, a reconnaissance pilot with the Navy, is the only Indian among 18 skippers who will be at the start line.
The much talked about event was held first in 1968, which saw Englishman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston finish the race to become the first human to achieve the feat. But the race was never held again, probably due to the ill fate that the rest of the starters met with. Some sank, a few retired and a few others committed suicide midsea.
To commemorate the 50th anniversary, the same race is being organised again from July 1. But with a rider: The entire set-up will be the same as in 1968.
“This event recreates, in the closest possible way, the magic of the original race. The emphasis is not on technology and its management, but on seamanship and a direct experience of the seas, said Tomy.