Abhilash Tomy: First Asian and Indian to Finish Golden Globe

The first Asian and Indian to accomplish so, Abhilash Tomy emerged in second place in the Golden Globe Race.

At the Naval Officers' Institute in Goa's Dabolim, Commander Abhilash Tomy received a hero's welcome on Friday as he returned home after finishing the Golden world Race, a 30,000-mile solo, unaided, non-stop round of the world.

Former Naval aviator Tomy came in second place in the race, which only a few of the starters were able to complete. He finished it in 236 days, making him the first Asian and Indian to finish the Golden Globe race.

The racers had to sail without the use of contemporary technology or satellite-based navigational aids. They had to employ ships, tools, and technology that were comparable to those Sir Robin used to become the first person to sail solo and nonstop around the world from June 14, 1968, to April 22, 1969.

Tomy was the first Indian to sail solo and nonstop around the globe in a sailboat. Capt. Dilip Dhond, another Navy member, had previously circumnavigated the globe alone but with stops.

Tomy nearly perished during the previous 2018 Golden Globe Race because of a storm. Speaking on Friday night at Vasco do Gama, he said it was that failure that motivated him to take on the task once more. The former military aviator added, "I was trained in the Navy to never give up.

Tomy claimed that reaching Cape Horn (South America's tip), where he endured two storms, two knockdowns, and physical damage to his boat, Bayanat, was the most difficult phase of the race. With a failed autopilot and no visual direction, it was being blown into small islets. Thankfully, he claimed to have been able to repair his autopilot using an improvised component.