Why in news?

The French fishing vessel Osiris rescued Commander Abhilash Tomy in the southern Indian Ocean.

What happened?

• Indian sailor and Navy officer, Commander Abhilash Tomy KC was part of the Golden Globe race(GGR).
• Tomy was the only Indian in the race and was in the third position when he was stranded.
• His yacht was dismasted after running into deadly strom in the southern ocean.
• He suffered severe back injury due to the incident.

• He had  sailed over 10,500 nautical miles in the previous 84 days.
• He was traced by the Indian Navy Reconnaissance after he sent out distress messages from his vessel.
• Finally he was rescued by the French vessel Osiris.

What is the Golden Globe Race?

• The Golden Globe Race (GGR) is a solo sailing race around the globe in a yacht with no kind of modern technology.
• The uniqueness of the race is that boat designs and technology newer than 1968 is not permitted.
• Hence use of Global Positioning System (GPS), satellite communication, navigational aids, etc is forbidden.
• However they are provided with satellite phone for medical emergencies.
• It was organised to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Sunday Times Golden Globe.
• Sunday Times Golden Globe race took place in 1968.
• In the 1968 race Sir Robin Knox-Johnston became the first person to make a non-stop solo circumnavigation trip.
• Thuriya, Cdr Tomy’s boat is a replica of Sir Knox-Johnston’s original winner, Suhaili.
• It is 32 feet long, and has been built by Aquarius Shipyard Pvt Ltd, Goa.
• Suhaili was built in Bombay with help from the Royal Bombay Yacht Club, in 1963.

What is the course of  GGR?

• The race course is an over-48,000-km east-about circumnavigation starting and finishing in Les Sables-d’Olonne,Western France.
• It follows the route of the original 1968-69 race.
• The boats sailed down the Atlantic from north to south, down the west coast of Africa and around the Cape of Good Hope.
• They will then sail south of Australia before coming around to the tip of South America.
• Finally they will go around Tierra del Fuego before sailing north on the Atlantic Ocean back to the French coast.

Source: Indian Express