NEW DELHI: A remarkable tale of determination and sisterhood is unfolding in the Indian Ocean. In a first for the tri-services, eleven fearless women officers from the armed forces will start sailing around the Indian Ocean from Monday.
The Samudra Pradakshina expedition kicks off on April 7 from Mumbai’s Indian Naval Watermanship Training Centre, and promises to be a testament to women power and inter-services camaraderie.
The leadup to this moment has been nothing short of herculean. The team, comprising six Army officers, one Navy officer, and four Air Force officers, underwent rigorous training at the Army Adventure Nodal Centre for Blue Water Sailing, under College of Military Engineering in Pune. With little to no sailing experience, they began from scratch, mastering theoretical and practical aspects of sailing, as well as building the physical strength and stamina needed for the grueling demands of the sea.
“The selection process spanned over a year and tested physical fitness, endurance, teamwork, leadership qualities, psychological resilience, and boat-handling capabilities,” said a source. The training regimen was exhaustive. The crew embarked on several training expeditions, gradually increasing in complexity and distance.
They started with short day trips, progressing to day and night expeditions covering significant distances. Their training routes included voyages from Mumbai to Karanja, Murud, Goa, Kochi, Porbandar, Lakshadweep and back. The expedition, which will cover over 4,000 nautical miles in 55 days, will be on board the IASV Triveni. The mission will set a record as the first tri-services team to circumnavigate an ocean, a senior official said.