Two women officers from the Indian Navy, Lt Commander Roopa A, and Lt Commander Dilna K – are all set to head out on a blue-water voyage around the world.
The duo has been prepping for the 'Sagar Parikrama' expedition for the past three years. They will be onboard the Indian naval sailing vessel (INSV) Tarini and circumnavigate the globe, said Navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal.
Hailing from Calicut, Lt Commander Dilna K joined the Indian Navy in June 2014. Pondicherry native, Lt Commander Roopa A was commissioned in the Navy in June 2017.
"Sagar Parikrama would be a grueling voyage requiring extreme skills, physical fitness, and mental alertness. The officers have been training rigorously and gained thousands of miles of experience under their belt," Commander Madhwal said.
Commander Abhilash Tomy (retd), a gold medallist in the Golden Globe Race and accomplished circumnavigator is mentoring the two officers during their training.
The officers were a part of a six-person crew that took part in a transoceanic expedition last year that traveled from Goa to Rio de Janeiro via Cape Town and back. After that, they set out on a double-handed sailing trip from Goa to Port Blair and back. Additionally, early this year, the pair made a successful dual-handed trip from Goa to Port Louis, Mauritius.
"Indian Navy has made significant efforts to revitalize the sailing tradition, emphasizing its commitment to preserve maritime heritage and promote seamanship skills," the Navy spokesperson said.
Commander Madhwal stated the Indian Navy’s strides in ocean sailing expeditions. The Indian Navy has made pioneering efforts of sail training ships -- INS Tarangini and INS Sudarshini, and circumnavigating onboard INSV Mhadei and Tarini.
"Continuing with the celebration of maritime skill and adventure, two Indian Navy women officers -- Lt Commander Roopa A and Lt Commander Dilna K would be embarking on the extraordinary expedition of circumnavigating the globe onboard INSV Tarini very shortly," Madhwal added.
Earlier in 2017, INSV Tarini was a part of a circumnavigation across the globe with an all-women officer crew.
