The excitement his feat generated amongst the country’s sailing enthusiasts was infectious and could see many more take up the challenge of the 236 days long racing thriller in coming years.
His finish in the Golden Globe Race voyage will remain one of the greatest achievements by an extraordinary Indian who fought for his opportunity to sail around the world.
By: Editorial
May 2, 2023 06:52 IST
When Abhilash Tomy was asked to give a message to any average Indian aiming to circumnavigate just like him, he would say there are no average Indians; just extraordinary ones waiting to be given an opportunity to prove themselves. Racing against sailors who came from nations with a history in the Golden Globe Race (GGR), Tomy said he was proud to be the first Asian to complete a non-stop unassisted round the world trip in a boat with 1968 vintage technology. For India which got its first circumnavigator in 2010, Tomy took giant strides coming second in GGR, and becoming the first to sail around the three navigable oceans twice in just dozen years since the country first set off on this adventure. The excitement his feat generated amongst the country’s sailing enthusiasts was infectious and could see many more take up the challenge of the 236 days long racing thriller in coming years.
The race itself finished as an oceanic odyssey with South African Kirsten Neuschafer, the only woman amongst 16 starters, coming first — mere hours before Tomy sailed into Les Sables d’Ollonne as runners-up. Only three of the 16 managed to complete the gruelling race that went on for eight long months. In 2018, Abhilash was caught in a storm while sailing during the 2018 edition of GGR. He broke his back in the accident. The naval veteran has since shown courage and serious ambition to return to a race that nearly killed him.
India celebrates its athletes and worships its cricketers. Abhilash’s feat will remain an adventure victory that will get spoken of for a few days and then get forgotten. But his finish in the GGR voyage will remain one of the greatest feats achieved by an extraordinary Indian who fought for his opportunity to sail around the world.
© The Indian Express (P) Ltd