TEAM HERALD
VASCO: Indian Naval Sailing Vessel (INSV) ‘Mhadei’, which set sail from Goa on November 25, 2013, and reached Cape Town on December 27, 2013, after an arduous journey of over 5,000 miles, participated in the Cape to Rio Race 2014.
The participation of Mhadei in the Cape to Rio Race 2014 is the beginning of a new chapter in India’s maritime history as an Indian lady is undertaking ocean sailing half way across the globe. INSV Mhadei was flagged off from Cape Town on January 4 to participate in the Cape to Rio Yachting Race 2014. Skippered by Commander Dilip Donde, the first Indian solo circumnavigator, Mhadei had a crew of four, including Commander MVV Satish, the trainee skipper, Commander TGS Bedi and for the first time, a lady officer Lieutenant Commander Shweta Kapur.
INSV Mhadei is presently on its return leg to Goa on completion of the race and is expected to reach Goa shortly. The crew during this voyage has been turned around at Rio and at Cape Town and one lady officer has been part of the crew in each leg of the voyage. By the time Mhadei returns to Goa, Indian Navy would have trained three lady officers in the art of ocean sailing.
the core team of a prospective ‘all women crew’ for a circumnavigation of the globe. A solo circumnavigation of the globe by a lady officer is also planned in due time.
The 56-ft sloop was constructed at a boat yard in Divar and was handed over to the Indian Navy in February 2009. In a fitting tribute to the place where the boat was constructed, the Indian Navy named the boat as INSV Mhadei, after river Mhadei, the origin of river Mandovi.
Goa is base port of INSV Mhadei and till date, the yatch has commenced all her voyages from Goa. In the five years since, Mhadei has logged over 96,000 Nm, has been part of two solo circumnavigations: first in 2009-10 under Commander Dilip Donde, and then non-stop in 2012-13 under Lt Commander Abhilash Tomy.
