The Indian Navy’s first all-women crew of Indian Naval Sailing Vessel- INSV Tarini entered Port Stanley, Falkland islands. The crew of six women naval officers is sailing on Tarini, a 55-foot yacht, on their eight-month circumnavigation of the globe. This is the first-ever Indian circumnavigation of the globe by an all-women crew.
The vessel is skippered by Lieutenant Commander Vartika Joshi, and the crew comprises Lieutenant Commanders Pratibha Jamwal, P Swathi, and Lieutenants S Vijaya Devi, B Aishwarya and Payal Gupta. Tarini had left Goa for their historic journey in September last year. It has covered approximately 15000 Nautical miles from Goa, crossing the Equator, Cape Leeuwin and Cape Horn.
The vessel and the crew experienced rough weather and stormy winds during the passage across the Pacific ocean that spanned 41 days. This coupled with the extremely cold climatic conditions prevailing in the region, proved to be a daunting task to overcome for the Indian Navy crew. Winds in excess of 60 knots and waves up to 7 meters were experienced on this leg of the passage.
The indigenously-built INSV Tarini was inducted into the Indian Navy in last February and showcases the ‘Make in India’ initiative on the International forum. The expedition titled ‘Navika Sagar Parikrama’, is in consonance with the National policy to empower women to attain their full potential. It also aims to showcase ‘Nari Shakti’ on the world platform and help revolutionise societal attitudes and mindset towards women in India by raising the visibility of their participation in challenging environs.The vessel is scheduled to return to Goa in April this year.
