Indian Navy’s all-women adventure sailing crew, which aimed at several record-making I achievements with an ambitious circumnavigation of the globe, was in the capital to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the top brass of the Navy, before it embarked on a voyage to circumnavigate earth.
The selection process was indeed not an easy one. In order to promote ocean sailing activities and to encourage women empowerment, the Indian Navy conceptualized this idea of the First Indian All Women Circumnavigation of the Globe. Out of the thirty women who had applied, six of them were shortlisted, based on the little survival skills they showcased. They were led by Lieutenant Commander Vartika Joshi.
These officers had done basic sail training courses at INWTC Mumbai followed by Navigation, Seamanship, Communication and Meteorology courses at various naval training schools at Kochi. After completion of theoretical courses, the officers sailed INSV Mhadei to Vizag for the International Fleet Review 2016 and thereafter to Mauritius and back.
Following that, they sailed the boat on a gruelling voyage to Cape Town in December. Lt. Commander Jamwal revealed that they were selected from different cadres and trained extensively for three-years where they learnt about navigation, communication, weather prediction and sailing.
The selected team was extensively mentored and trained by Dilip Donde, the first Indian to circumnavigate the globe from the Navy in the project ‘Sagar Parikrama’.Classroom courses were different from sailing outside.
So, they were given hands- on training, like, how to repair things and how to deal with emergencies, when the weather got rough. They underwent basic sail training courses in Mumbai at the Indian Naval Waterman ship Training Centre (INWTC), and at various schools in the southern naval base in Kochi.
They even sailed on INSV Mhadei to Mauritius (in 2016 and 2017) and back and also to Cape Town in December 2016. They were trained for almost three years to prepare for the voyage. “Confidence comes from discipline and training.”
