Easter Special – The Resurrection of Abhilash Tomy
I first met Abhilash Tomy in October 2012. That day, he took us for a spin off the Mumbai coast in INSV Mhadei. This was a few days before he set sail for his first solo non-stop circumnavigation in the same sailboat. After that, I met him a few times. Those times include sharing laughter over drinks on the eve of his boat launch (the ill-fated Thuriya) and later repeating it before his first Golden Globe Race (GGR) at Naval Sailing Club in Colaba, Mumbai. Last Sunday, I had a long informal chat with him about the times between that GGR and now. Read on to learn how this adventurer resurrected himself.
The Golden Globe Race (GGR) 2018
Abhilash made good speed in the 2018 edition of GGR and was running third after 82 days of sailing. Somewhere between India and Australia, a violent sea storm in the South Indian Ocean cost his boat Thuriya its mast, and all but immobilised him. After realising he couldn’t get up, he sent out a signal for help.
He was rescued three and a half days later. Roughly 85 hours! He spent those not in despair, but in planning. Planning his briefing for the rescuers, his statement for the doctors, and the future course of action to take part in the next GGR. This GGR may be history, but he was already eyeing the next one.
Rescuers took him to Amsterdam Island, ~5100 km south of Kanyakumari in the Indian Ocean. The island is almost equidistant from Madagascar, Australia, and Antarctica. After initial check-ups, the Indian Navy flew him to Vizag, and then to Delhi. Here, the best spinal surgeon, and his own positive outlook, ensured he was back on his feet soon. In fact, he resumed his naval duties (in a low medical category) in just a couple of months. In six months, he was fit to fly, sail, do anything.
Abhilash Tomy – After Recovery
A lot of water has flown under the bridge since GGR 2018 and his recovery. For one, he is no longer a bachelor boy! He married Urmimala in April 2018, and they now have a son, Abhraneel who was born in March 2019.
He quit the Indian Navy in January 2021. His reasons for leaving the Navy? Well, he had joined in 1996 and had already served for over 24 years. That itself was a reason enough! And then, he was newly married and wanted to spend more time with his family.
Also, whenever any adventure opportunities came about in the Navy, he was an automatic choice. With that, the other officers were perhaps feeling snubbed. It was a ‘big tree not letting the others grow’ kind of situation.
But the most important reason, according to him, was he wanted sailing sponsorship to come from the private players, and not from the government alone. His logic? Like the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is a private body funded through sponsorships from private companies, even sailing must attract private funding for it to grow as a sport. And sure enough, in GGR 2022, his main sponsor is Bayanat, a subsidiary of a UAE company called Group 42, and the co-sponsor is Jellyfish Watersports from Kozhikode.
A Little About Bayanat
Bayanat is into ocean exploration using aerial pseudo satellites. They are mapping the earth, and it is not just simple mapping; there is an added layer of artificial intelligence Bayanat brings on to these maps.
Unlike the normal geostationary satellites, where just four can cover the entire earth, these pseudo satellites cover only a few thousand square kilometres each. They look like massive drones with a large wingspan and use solar panels to remain airborne for long periods. While they position the satellites around 36,000 km above the earth, these pseudo satellites need air to remain airborne, and hence remain well under the von Kármán Line.
Abhilash and solo sailing
Humans seek variety in the food they consume. I was curious how Abhilash manages that urge as, during his solo sailing trips, he is unlikely to have menu choices. He shared that though the choices are not as many as on land, he carries a wide variety of freeze-dried stuff and chooses his meal based on his mood and has it with rice. Sometimes he just roasts peanuts or makes popcorn or a large quantity of coffee. So, albeit limited, he has choices.
About grabbing sleep during these sailing trips, he shared these boats have a rudimentary auto-pilot. So, every time he sets navigation for the boat to stay on course, he grabs 30-40 minutes of sleep. In fact., the whole idea is to eat as much as you can and sleep as much as you can. You can’t sleep for long stretches, so these 30-minute siestas are the cyclical reality of such solo voyages.
The Golden Globe Race (GGR) 2022
This year, on the 4th of September, they will again flag off GGR from Les Sables d’Olonne in France. This time he’s sailing a second-hand boat bought from France that is now christened Bayanat. He is fitting out his boat in the Netherlands. This will take a couple of months.
After fitting it out, he needs to do a 2,000-nautical-mile non-stop qualification passage on his boat. He has still not firmed up his route for this qualification passage but is considering various options like the North Atlantic, or going around Great Britain, or Norway.
Whatever route he chooses, keep your eyes peeled for this resurrected sailor during GGR 2022. He is my favourite adventure traveller. Chances are, this steel-willed soft-spoken giant will be a forerunner in the race during his third attempt at solo, non-stop circumnavigation in a sailboat. Fair winds to him, so he achieves this superhuman feat for the second time!
Pin the resurgence!
