GOA: Lieutenant Commander Dilna K of the Indian Navy, from Kerala, is likely to undertake a solo sailing expedition around the globe.
Lieutenant Commander Dilna K, who hails from Kozhikode, had undergone intense training for over half a year onboard INSV Tarini, the Navy’s sailboat, in preparation for this challenge. She is one of the two women naval officers in the fray. The other is Lt Commander Roopa Alagirisamy, a Pondicherry native.
The officer will become the first Asian woman to undertake the journey alone, an Indian Navy official said. "This will be purely a sailing expedition. Right from repairs of the ship to laundry and cooking everything they will have to do alone," the officer said, adding that the sailing expedition will be for more than 200 days.
It was only two years ago, Lieutenant Commander Dilna picked up sailing. A Commerce graduate, Lt Cdr Dilna joined the Navy as a logistics officer in 2014. It was after her posting at the ocean sailing node in INS Mandovi in Goa, she became an integral cog in the Navy’s maritime adventures.
Lt Cdr Dilna was appointed at INS Garuda in Kochi, the oldest operating air station, and had won “the appreciation of her supervisors with her thoroughness,” said a Navy officer. Her cut-no-corners attitude also saw her earning a commendation from the commanding-in-chief of the Southern Naval Command.
Lt Cdr Dilna is also a renowned shooter and has won several medals in national shooting championships. She became eligible to light up the gun when she joined the National Cadet Corps.
In preparation for the upcoming challenge, Lt Cdr Dilna has conducted a slew of expeditions, including the Kochi to Goa Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav Expedition, the President’s Fleet Review expedition, and a few ocean sorties covering Mauritius, Cape Town and Rio. Overall, she has covered over 17,000 nautical miles on the sea.
(with inputs from PTI)