New Delhi: INSV Tarini completed the fourth and penultimate leg of her over 23,400 nautical miles voyage across the oceans to reach Cape Town in South Africa, to a rousing welcome, on Monday.
The sailboat, with two women Indian Navy officers – Lt Cdr Dilna K and Lt Cdr Roopa A, embarked on the Navika Sagar Parikrama (NSP) – II Expedition, from Goa, on October 2, 2024. The Expedition was flagged-off by Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of the Naval Staff, Indian Navy.
At Cape Town, South Africa, the vessel and her crew were welcomed by Ruby Jaspreet, Consul General of India at Cape Town, Rear Admiral (JG) Lisa Hendricks, Chief of Staff, South African Navy Fleet and the Defence Adviser of India at Pretoria, Captain Atul Sapahia. The South African Naval Band also performed to welcome the vessel to the port.
NSP-II’s mission is to cover more than 23,400 nautical miles (approximately 43,300 kilometers) in eight months, with a scheduled return to Goa in May 2025. The expedition has so far had three stopovers at Fremantle (Australia), Lyttelton (New Zealand) and Port Stanley, Falklands (UK). The stopover in South Africa will be for nearly 15 days as INSV Tarini will be at Royal Cape Yacht Club for two weeks for scheduled maintenance and repairs.
“During this period, the crew of the vessel will engage and interact with the South African Navy at Simon’s Town Naval Base and Gordon’s Bay Naval College. Community Outreach events have also been planned. The vessel and the crew having encountered rough seas and extremely cold temperatures, coupled with stormy weather conditions. This made the task of circumnavigation highly challenging and demanding. The passage so far witnessed winds in excess of 50 knots (93 kmph) and waves of heights up to 7 meters (23 feet),” a senior official of the Indian Navy said.
The indigenously built INSV Tarini is a 56-foot sailing vessel, which was inducted in the Indian Navy in 2018 and has participated in many such expeditions earlier. The vessel is a true testament of ‘Make in India’ and Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative of the Government of India.
The Navika Sagar Parikrama-II expedition also promotes women empowerment in the Indian Armed Forces and is expected to motivate many young women to join the Services and Indian Navy in particular. This edition is also aimed at furthering marine and scientific researches.
“The stopover of Tarini at Cape Town exhibits the growing relations between India and South Africa and how India stands committed to strengthen its maritime cooperation with the friendly countries in the Indian Ocean Region. The vessel is likely to set off from South Africa on April 15 and set course for the Indian coast,” the official added.
