KOCHI:Two days after he was rescued from mid-sea, Golden Globe Race participant and Indian Navy Commander Abhilash Tomy spoke to Navy officers in India and thanked his rescuers.“The sea was unbelievably rough. Me & my boat Thuriya were pitched against the nature’s might. I survived because of my sailing skills, the soldier bit in me and my Naval training cut-in for that fight. Very thankful to #IndianNavy & all who rescued me #GGR2018 - Cdr Abhilash Tomy,” said the Navy spokesperson in a tweet, quoting Abhilash Tomy.
Meanwhile, the Golden Globe Race organisers informed the Australian Navy vessel HMAS Ballarat will reach within helicopter range of Amsterdam Island at first light on Thursday.The team of officers, including doctors, will land in Amsterdam Island by a helicopter and check the health condition of Abhilash Tomy and Irish sailor Gregor McGuckin. A decision on shifting both sailors will be taken after assessing their health.
Indian Navy vessel INS Satpura is expected to reach Amsterdam Island on Friday. The Navy is contemplating the option of shifting Abhilash to Mauritius, which is 2,735 km away from the island and airlift him to India. The Australian Navy has decided to shift Gregor McGuckin to Perth, which is 3,527 km away, by HMAS Ballarat. If Abhilash’s health does not permit a long journey, he will be shifted to Perth.
Meanwhile, Thuriya, the 32-foot yacht in which Abhilash set off for the solo nonstop circumnavigation of the world, remains afloat at the location where he encountered the storm. Though there were discussions on the viability of placing a crew on board, starting the engine and taking the yacht to St Paul Island, there was no decision in this regard. The `3-crore yacht is a replica of the iconic boat ‘Suhaili’, sailed by Knox-Johnston, the first winner of the Golden Globe Race in 1968. A Navy officer said recovering the dismasted yacht will be very expensive. MV Osiris, the French Fisheries Patrol boat which rescued Abhilash Tomy, was on her last voyage before being scrapped. She was built in 1968. It was captured as an illegal pirate fishing vessel and converted to fisheries patrol vessel.