Central Idea

Abhilash Tomy, a former Commander in the Indian Navy, has achieved the remarkable feat of completing a solo circumnavigation worldwide by finishing second at the Golden Globe Race (GGR), 2022.
He achieved this record under even more challenging circumstances than his previous record-breaking feat of going worldwide on a sailboat solo and unassisted back in 2013.

golden globe

What is Golden Globe Race?

The Golden Globe Race is a non-stop, solo, unassisted yacht race around the world which was held for the first time in 1968-69.
The race requires contestants to use boats designed to prescribed premodern specifications and rely entirely on sextants and paper charts.
Satellite phones are available for extremely restricted use, and the use of modern navigational gear is not allowed.
The sailing would be along a stipulated route, rounding the three great capes (Cape of Good Hope in South Africa, Cape Leeuwin in Western Australia, and Cape Horn in Chile).

After several injuries, in 2021, Tomy began to look for sponsors and boats to participate in GGR-2022.
He announced his participation in the race on the Bayanat in March 2022, sponsored by a UAE-based company in the field of geospatial artificial intelligence.
However, just three weeks before the race, the boat collided with a ship and required massive repairs.

Only three of the 11 contestants of GGR-2022 lasted the course of the race, with Kirsten Neuschafer becoming the first woman to win a solo around-the-world yacht race.
Tomy’s boat was the most ‘repaired’ boat in the race and it was all carried out by the sailor fighting unimaginable sea conditions and lack of sleep.
In the end, Tomy became the first Asian to complete the 30,000-mile GGR by finishing second after Neuschafer.