In Conversation With Indian Navy Commander Abhilash Tomy

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[{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1543923243054","data":"They say a job in the military is adventurous (apart from having the obvious satisfaction of serving the country), and Indian Navy Commander Abhilash Tomy's life and experiences stand testimony to that. Cdr Abhilash has the distinction of being the first Indian, second Asian, and seventy-ninth person in the history of humanity, to complete a solo, unassisted, non-stop circumnavigation under sail.<\/p>In layman terms, he sailed around the world in a small boat powered only by wind, without stopping anywhere and without taking any form of assistance from anyone, in 151 days. Starting from Mumbai on November 1 2012, he crossed, from West to East, the Indian, Pacific, Southern and Atlantic Oceans, covering 23,100 nautical miles, rounding Cape Leeuwin in Australia, Cape Horn in South America and Cape of Good Hope in Africa, before reaching Mumbai on March 31, 2013. He has geared up for the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race 2018, which is a non-stop, single-handed, round-the-world yacht race; commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the first round-the-world yacht race of the same name, that took place in 1968.<\/p>We caught up with him for a conversation about his first experiences and his preparations for future.<\/p>"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1543923243055","data":"Q: Tell us about the upcoming race. <\/b><\/p>A: Not many had attempted a solo, unassisted circumnavigation of the globe till 1968 and it was more of an ego thing. Only 2-3 people had sailed solo but it was with one stop. Whether someone will do it non-stop or not was a big question and the British newspaper Sunday Times had first announced this race in 1968. It got 9 participants but only one person, Sir William Robert Patrick \"Robin\" Knox-Johnston is the only person who finished it. They are now conducting the same race again in 2018, to mark 50 years of the race and I plan on taking part in it.<\/p>They have very strict guidelines regarding what is allowed and what isn't. I am not allowed any kind of assistance from anyone, even taking a matchbox from a passing by boat will be considered as assistance. I am also not allowed to have any technology on board that didn't exist in 1968. So that means I am not allowed to have any GPS devices, internet devices, satellite phones, etc. The only exceptions are solar panels and LED lights for the cabins. I plan on finishing this voyage in 300 days.<\/p>I will have to rely on celestial navigation (navigating using stars) and manually do all calculations. This method of navigation will involve a lot of factors, for instance, on my around-the-world trip, there were many instances when I didn't see the sun or stars for days because it was cloudy all the time! <\/p>There are also design constraints on how the vessel should be built, it has to be about 10 meters long, in addition to several other constraints.<\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1543923243056","data":"5978842d5b01d"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1543923243057","data":"Q: You're mentally prepared for a journey like this now but the first time you did it, how did you prepare yourself mentally?<\/b><\/p>A: I didn't need to prepare myself mentally for this as no one made me or ordered me to do this. I was offered the chance and I took it up willingly. I was self motivated to do this. There have been instances when situations or superiors made people undertake difficult voyages but this was nothing like that. I wanted to do it so I didn't need to specifically prepare myself mentally for this.<\/p>"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1543923243058","data":"Q: How did you cope up with the loneliness that sets in, considering you spent 151 days last time?<\/b><\/p>A: I never felt lonely on my journey, in fact, I felt a great sense of freedom. On that journey, I realised that our actions -big or small- are heavily influenced by people around us. Right from what we eat to when we eat to what we wear to what we think to what we speak, everything is governed by others. For instance, there were days when I just sat in a lungi reading a book on the boat, now this kind of freedom can't be experienced when you are with people. Your boss will want you to finish your work, your family will have expectations from you. You have to eat a certain meal at a certain time and what not. I spent a lot of time reading during the voyage.<\/p>I got a fundamental experience of freedom that only solitude can give.<\/p>"},{"type":"img","id":"img-uid-1543923243059","data":"597884106aa5d"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1543923243060","data":"Q: Tell us a bit about the vessel you used for your first journey and the one you are planning on using in this one.<\/b><\/p>A: I did my first journey in INSV Mhadei, a 17 meter long sailing vessel. That had a single living cabin with 5 bunks and a small toilet. It was well equipped and had safety measures like a collision compartment in the front, which collapses in case of a collision, and retains a watertight scenario. I also took onboard tinned and freeze dried food, in addition to taking a couple of weeks worth fruit and vegetables. The best food I took on board were the MRE (Meal-Ready-To-Eat) by Defence Food Research Lab. They have an excellent Indian spread, from Chicken Biryani to Chapatis and dal. Imagine having Chapati and Dal in the middle of the Pacific (he laughs)!<\/p>The vessel I'm using for the Golden Globe Race is much smaller, only 10 meters long. <\/p>"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1543923243061","data":"Q: Since you mentioned reading books, what would be your recommendations, especially for our student readers?<\/b><\/p>A: One Hundred Years Of Solitude, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez! I read that book so many times and will still read it. In fact, if I am allowed to bring only one book onboard, it will be this one. <\/p>"},{"type":"txt","id":"rich_1543923243062","data":"We wish him the best and hope he continues to inspire the youth forever! <\/p>"}]

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