Around the world in nine months

After covering more than 21000 nautical miles through fair and foul weather at sea, the INSV Tarini with its six Indian Navy women sailors onboard, waded into the pier at the INS Mandovi near Panaji, after scripting history as the first all women naval crew to circumvent the globe.

Defence Minister Niramala Sitharaman, who welcomed back the expedition after the crew spent nearly nine months at sea, said that the extraordinary and unprecedented feat by Indian Navy women sailors was a message to millions of youngsters in India, that tough goals can be achieved by them.

Sitharaman, who was glowing in her praise of Lieutenant Vartika Joshi and her crew, also said that their feat should not be viewed as an achievement for women alone, but for Indian youngsters, for whom the historic ‘Navika Sagar Parikrama’ should be a motivation.

“The women of the country have shown it’s possible for youngsters, if they want to do something, that they can indeed do it. So I would lift the whole motivation argument, not just confine it to the ladies of this country, but for all youngsters,” Sitharaman said at a function held at the naval base, soon after the 55-foot sailboat was received during a formal ceremony, which was also attended by Indian Navy Admiral Sunil Lanba.

“So I would want not for a minute, undermine this by saying the girls have achieved, young Indians have achieved and the kind of grit shown by these young ladies is amazing. They have made history, not only for themselves, but for the naval history and maritime history of the world,” Sitharaman also said.

The expedition was flagged off last year by Sitharaman, and has since completed the global circum navigation across six legs with stopovers in Australia, New Zealand, Falkland Islands, South Africa and Mauritius traveling a distance of 21,600 nautical miles.