Two Indian veterans, Col K Srinivas (ex-army) and Capt. C D N V Prasad  ( ex-navy) set sail from Auckland, New Zealand to Visakhapatnam, India on May 14 on a 34-foot sailboat Tystie. They are expected to reach the eastern port city of Visakhapatnam (Vizag) later in the year.

The 7800 nautical mile long voyage, which will be dependent on local wind conditions and currents,  has planned port calls at Savusavu, Fiji; Port Vila, Vanuatu; Solomon Islands; Kupang. Indonesia; Bali, Indonesia; Penang, Malaysia; Langkawi, Malaysia; Phuket,Thailand; Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India and onwards to Vizakhapatnam, or Vizag. 

Both veterans are in their early 60s and graduated  with the 63rd course of the National Defence Academy in Khadakwasla and are alumni (1971 batch)  of the prestigious Sainik School Korukonda near Vizianagaram. The school  is renowned for instilling a spirit of adventure. Srinivas is an ex EME (electrical and mechanical engineering)  officer and Prasad a former  air observer with the shipborne Sea King helicopter.

Adventure has been a calling of many a schoolmate of the Tystie crew,  including Second Lieutenant MUB Rao who died in 1983 during the Everest Expedition.  Another Saikorian, the famous Malli Mastan Babu,  has the distinction of setting a record for scaling the Seven Summits in the shortest time in 2006. Tragically he died during a solo mountaineering expedition in the Andes (Chile) in March 2015. 

Telugu pride

The arduous voyage of the Tystie across the Pacific and Indian oceans to Visakhapatnam will instil a sense of pride for Andhra Pradesh, home state for the two intrepid sailors. The Andhra coast has a hoary tradition of maritime connectivity with South-East Asia since the BC period during the reign of  the Satavahana dynasty.

Vice Admiral MS Pawar (Retd.), former Deputy Chief of Naval Staff and a Saikorian said:  “The long Andhra coast has a rich tradition. Dotted with minor and major ports, beaches and coastal villages there exists a great potential for marine tourism and the entire spectrum of the blue economy. I fondly recall that in 2018, Chief Minister Shri  Chandrababu Naidu had flagged off the water sports enterprise at Visakhapatnam under the auspices of the  Andhra Pradesh Tourism Department. That initiative could get much impetus from the arrival of TYSTIE at Visakhapatnam.  It would also make a good case for development of  a suitable marina in Vizag in due course  for berthing pleasure craft as marine tourism and adventure activities have a vast potential in the state.”

Another Saikorian, Commodore C Uday Bhaskar (Retd.) added that such adventures will not only inspire the younger students in the school but also motivate other veterans to consider similar activities – particularly in the maritime domain. “The Srinivas-Prasad duo demonstrate that you are never too old to chase your dreams – however arduous.”

Ocean sailing

Ocean sailing is slowly becoming popular in India and retired naval officer, Commander  Tomy Abhilash has the distinction of being the first Asian to complete a non-stop unassisted round the world trip in 2023 – sailing in a boat with 1968 vintage technology.  Abhilash is also the first to sail around the three navigable oceans twice – a feat that has not been matched globally.

It merits notice that while over 7,120 individual climbers have successfully summited Mount Everest, only 200  sailors  have completed a solo circumnavigation of the world, both with and without stops.

The 26-year-old 7.8-ton Tystie is presently registered in Poland but will change to Indian registration and be rechristened as 'VISAKHA'   on arrival in Vizag.