Navy Lt. Commander Abhilash Tomy, who embarked on a solo non-stop circumnavigation on a sail boat last November, is all set to cross the finish line after he completes a round of the globe in the second leg of Sagar Parikrama on April 6.
To mark the achievement President Pranab Mukherjee and Navy Chief Admiral D.K. Joshi will be in the city to welcome the 33-year-old naval officer. Even Army and Air Force top brass has planned a grand welcome to Tomy.
Tomy started the journey from Mumbai on a sailing yacht INSV Mhadei. After he reaches the city, he would have completed approximately 22,267 nautical miles in seas without halts. His confidence remained undeterred even after inclement weather and troubled waters posed hurdles in his way.
“Forget about the extreme conditions in sea, pirates are the biggest threat during such voyages nowadays. However, Tomy was lucky not to have encountered such a problem,” said a naval officer.
As a token of admiration, Lt. Commander Tomy on April 6 plans to hand over the sailboat to his trainer and guru Commander Dilip Donde. Donde himself has already steered the boat around the world in the maiden edition of the Navy’s Sagar Parikrama Project.