Former Indian Navy Commander Abhilash Tomy completes prestigious Golden Globe Race.
In a remarkable feat of courage and grit, India's Abhilash Tomy has become one of only two people to complete the world's toughest solo sailing race, the Golden Globe Race 2022. The retired Navy Commander finished the non-stop circumnavigation of the globe in a small boat without any electronic aid, after South African sailor Kirsten Neuschafer at 1:30 PM IST in Les Sables d'Olonne, France on Saturday.
Commander Tomy sailed for 236 days on his 36-foot sail boat, the Bayanat. The race rules required the participants to use only equipment and technology available in 1968, such as sextants, paper charts and wind-up chronometers.
A small flotilla of fans and supporters sailed alongside Commander Tomy's sailboat as it approached the port, giving him an electric welcome, videos showed. Kirsten Neuschafer was seen draped in the Indian flag as she received Abhilash Tomy.
The race started on September 4, 2022, from Les Sables-d'Olonne in France, with 16 sailors from 11 countries. Only two of them managed to complete the gruelling challenge while sailing non-stop. This tested their physical and mental stamina to the limit. The only other finisher so far has been the sailor Simon Curwen who had been forced to make stops to address problems with his boat, unlike Abhilash Tomy and Kirsten Neuschafer who completed the race non-stop. On account of having to make stops, Simon was not granted a podium finish.
Commander Tomy's journey was not without hardships and dangers. He faced storms, isolation and fatigue. He also had to overcome a serious injury that nearly ended his sailing career five years ago. In 2018, while participating in the same race, he was caught in a violent storm in the Indian Ocean that struck his boat and left him with a broken spine.
Commander Tomy had fallen more than 30 feet from the mast of the sail boat onto its deck, a life-threatening injury on a vessel that could have capsized at any moment. For more than 70 hours, the world waited as rescuers on ships hundreds of nautical miles away raced towards him - a massive joint effort by French, Australian and Indian authorities determined to get the Navy Commander to safety.
With time running out, communications through emergency satellite transmitters fading and with no clarity on whether he was still alive, the Indian Navy was on the verge of green-lighting an audacious rescue mission - paradropping 4 Naval commandos off an Indian Air Force transport who would attempt to get to Abhilash to stabilise him.
Eventually, a French fishing boat, the Osiris, managed to reach Tomy first, transferring the injured Indian sailor onboard. When Abhilash got back to India, he knew that the challenge he faced was perhaps even bigger than what he had gone through. After complicated life-altering surgery to his back, that involved inserting titanium rods into his spine and fusing five vertebrae into one, Commander Abhilash Tomy had to learn to walk again. He eventually went back to work - flying maritime reconnaissance missions for the Navy but the urge to give the Golden Globe Race another shot was a dream that he could never get out of his head.
In January 2019, Commander Abhilash Tomy quit the Indian Navy to pursue his dream of giving the Golden Globe Race a second shot. It was his life's mission.
Commander Tomy received a warm welcome from his family, friends and supporters as he crossed the finish line at Les Sables-d'Olonne on Saturday. He also received congratulations from Indian Navy chief Admiral R Hari Kumar, who praised him for making India proud. Commander Tomy said he was happy and relieved to complete the race, and thanked everyone who helped him along the way.