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What’s the story?
In what could be termed as a historic achievement, the Indian Navy’s first all-women crew of Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) Tarini, rounded the Cape Horn through the Drake Passage on Friday.
In case you didn’t know...
Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) Tarini which was flagged off by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman from Goa in September last year, made its way to Cape Horn through the Drake Passage which is considered as the roughest stretch on the planet and is sometimes called the Mount Everest of sailing. The nearest land of Antarctica lies 600 miles South across it.
The heart of the matter
The all-women crew of Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) Tarini who were trained in the Ocean Sailing Node at Goa, hoisted the Indian flag as they crossed Cape Horn.
The expedition which is titled 'Navika Sagar Parikrama' is being covered in five legs. The indigenously-built INSV Tarini reached Lyttelton in New Zealand early last month after their first stop in Australia. There are stop-overs at four ports - Fremantle in Australia, Lyttelton in New Zealand, Port Stanley in Falklands and Cape Town in South Africa.
INSV Tarini is the reflection of the 'Make in India' initiative on the International forum. Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to applaud the daunting task performed by the brave women with the help of the tiny vessel.
What’s next?
After completing a successful expedition, the 56-foot sailing vessel will return to Goa in April 2018.
Author’s take
The feat achieved by the women crew led by Lieutenant Commander Vartika Joshi will stand the test of time. The expedition aims to showcase 'nari shakti' on the world platform and increase the participation of women in the challenging environment. This will go a long way in encouraging the girls of the nation to take up challenges like these in future.
