Kochi: In a remarkable display of maritime prowess, the Indian Navy recently concluded the Ocean Sailing Race 2023, spanning from Kochi to Goa. The inter-Command race, held under the aegis of the Indian Naval Sailing Association (INSA), took place from November 22 to November 26, 2023.
Organized by the Headquarters, Southern Naval Command (HQSNC), and coordinated by the Indian Navy’s Offshore Sailing Club in ASW School, Kochi, along with the Ocean Sailing Node based at INS Mandovi, Goa, the event featured four 40-footer Indian Naval Sailing Vessels (INSVs) named Bulbul, Neelkanth, Kadalpura, and Hariyal.
Covering an approximate distance of 360 nm, the race challenged participants to sail from Naval Base, Kochi, to Goa in about five days. The crew, consisting of 32 personnel, including eight women officers/Agniveers, was selected based on their substantial sea sailing experience.
Ocean sailing, recognized as an extremely challenging adventure sport, is utilized by the Indian Navy to instill a spirit of adventure, enhance risk-management abilities, and sharpen essential seamanship and machinery management skills. The crew, comprising a combined team of personnel from the three Commands of the Navy and a joint team of Andaman and Nicobar Command & NHQ, included participants ranging from the senior-most rank of a Commodore to the junior-most Agniveer.
The Indian Navy emphasizes that sailing on these small vessels is integral to instilling an “indefinable sea-sense” and a profound respect for the elements of nature, essential for safe and successful seafaring. Additionally, the experience imparts values of courage, camaraderie, endurance, and esprit-de-corps amongst the naval personnel in training.