Meet Women Naval Officers Training For Solo Sailing Across Globe

Lieutenant Commander Dilna K from Kozhikode and Puducherry native Lieutenant Commander Roopa Alagirisamy are hard at training as they compete to represent the Indian Navy for the fourth edition of the solo circumnavigation voyage. The two officers are being mentored by the ace sailor Commander Abhilash Tomy (retd). It is important to note that 10 years ago, Cdr(R) Tomy became the first Indian to complete a solo, non-stop circumnavigation of the world under sail onboard INSV Mhadei in 2013.

Lt Cdr Dilna and Roopa were selected from a pool of 17 officers and have 21,000 nautical miles each to their name. As part of a six-member crew from the Indian Navy, they accomplished a trans-Atlantic voyage by participating in the Cape2Rio race, sailing from Cape Town, South Africa to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in July of this year.

As reported by The New Indian Express, the training is in its final phases, with numerous brief and extended voyages scheduled in the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal, and the Indian Ocean.

The 'Sagar Parikrama' expedition is scheduled for the year 2024, and it will be undertaken by just one female officer. These missions were originally conceptualised by the late Vice Admiral MP Awati, who is regarded as the pioneer of Indian circumnavigation endeavours. Presently, India boasts a total of eight sailors who have successfully navigated the globe.

Know The Officers

Who Is Lt. Cdr. Dilna K?

Dilna got selected for the Indian Navy in 2015 on her sixth attempt after she failed the first five. Despite having successfully passed the interviews and medical evaluations, her previous applications were thwarted by the absence of available positions. 

Even before she entered the Navy, she had honed her skills in archery and cricket, becoming an adept practitioner in both disciplines. She had also been an integral member of the Navy's shooting team. She is currently stationed at the Ocean Sailing Node, INS Mandovi in Goa as a Logistics Officer.

Who Is Lt. Cdr. Roopa Alagirisamy?

Lt. Cdr. Alagirisamy is currently serving as a naval armament inspector. Drawing inspiration from Kalpana Chawla, India's first female astronaut, Alagirisamy regards herself as an 'aspiring astronaut in the realm of the sea.' 

Hailing from Puducherry, in 2017, scripted her name in the history of the Indian Navy. The aeronautical engineering graduate from Jeppiaar Engineering College in Chennai became one of three female officers who were enlisted into the Naval Armament Inspectorate. She was a Sub-Lieutenant at the time.

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