Sailor Abhilash Tomy creates history; becomes 1st Indian to complete prestigious Golden Globe Race

Five years after suffering a life-threatening and potentially paralysing accident at the Golden Globe Race, Commander Abhilash Tomy, a retired Indian Naval officer, on Saturday become the first Indian to complete the same prestigious 30,000 mile race - the longest endurance race on the planet.

The Indian adventurer and sailor finished second in the race, a solo around-the-world sailing race, which started on September 4, 2022 from Les Sables-d'Olonne in France. Tomy sailed through the finish line on Saturday morning bringing to an end a nearly eight-month long expedition across oceans and around the great capes.

"#GGR2022 2nd Arrival Abhilash Tomy (43) / India / Rustler 36 - "BAYANAT", finished his 2nd solo around the world," says the announcement made on the official page of the race.

South African sailor Kirsten Neuschafer bagged the first spot on Friday morning, becoming the first woman to win the Golden Globe Race. 

Sixteen sailors had set off from Les Sables d'Olonne on September 4 last year to take part in the historic 'voyage of madmen' and only three boats survived the 236-day ordeal, which includes Tomy's UAE-registered yacht Bayanat.

At the September 2018 Golden Globe Race, Abhilash Tomy and his yacht were caught in a storm while he was sailing in third position. His boat was broken and Tomy was trapped in a gale. He fell from the mast, which led to spinal fractures that required titanium to be infused to strengthen his spine.

"My boat was dismasted and destroyed, and I suffered a huge fall which left me with multiple spine fractures. And with pretty functionless legs. The remoteness? Couldn't have been worse," wrote Tomy in a March 2022 post on Facebook.

Ever since he was forced out of the 2018 Golden Globe Race, the former Dornier pilot vowed to make a return and complete the prestigious race. This time around, Abhilash Tomy did endure torn sails, broken halyards, electrical blackouts, faulty self steering rudder, disel leaks, and more. However, the retired Naval officer did not give up at any point.

The triumph of Abhilash Tomy is a testament to tenacity and ranks among the greatest comebacks in Indian nautical and sporting history. To put his accomplishment in perspective, consider that 6,098 people have scaled Mount Everest, 628 people have travelled to space, but just 200 people—including Tomy—have sailed unassisted around the globe.