Sailing Voyages – The First Indian

Here is an ongoing account of Dilip’s sails with friends and fellow sailors. He sails often and everywhere possible. His bucket list though, keeps growing. The list below gives a brief outline of his sailing adventures till his own boat Antara came along in 2018 and now demands all his attention.

2019 onwards

Skipper on my yacht Antara. Introducing people to the magic of offshore sailing, with trips along the Indian coast and to the Maldives. With plans to keep expanding our horizons.

2018 – SY Sanjula – UK, Ireland, Iceland, Greenland and back

Sailed with Sir Robin Knox-Johnston as crew on his Farr 56 sailboat to experience sailing under the tutelage of the legendary sailor.

2018 – SY Suhaili – Portsmouth, UK to Le Sables d’Olonne and back

Sailed with Sir Robin Knox-Johnston on his iconic Suhaili to attend the start of the Golden Globe Race

(Photo credit Neil Withers from Gypsy Moth)

2017 – SY Warrior – Valencia to Antigua

Sailed as a crew on SY Warrior, ex SY Camper used by Emirates Team Zealand in the 2011 Volvo Ocean Race. The aim was to learn and experience sailing these high performance boats.

(Photo credit Trond R Teigen)

2016 – INSV Mhadei – Goa to Vishakhapatnam

Sailed to train the first all women ocean sailing team in the country and attend the International Fleet Review 2016 at Vizag. The team completed an all women circumnavigation in May 2018, a first for the country.

2015 – SY Grey Power – Transatlantic Race 2015

Sailed on Sir Robin Knox-Johnston‘s Open 60 boat, as a crew, in the Transatlantic Race 2015, from Newport, RI to Cowes, UK. This is the oldest trans ocean race in the world.

(Photo credit Joshua Warren)

2015 – SY Grey Power – Grenada to Newport RI, USA

Sailed with Sir Robin Knox-Johnston to position his boat from Grenada to Newport, RI for the Transatlantic Race 2015 with stopovers in Bermuda and Provincetown.

(Photo credit Joshua Warren)

2014 – INSV Mhadei – Goa – Port Blair – Vizag – Chennai – Kochi – Goa

Sailed around the Indian peninsula and Andamans training young naval officers including four women. The voyage marked the completion of 100,000 nm of sailing in 6 years for the iconic boat Mhadei.

2014 – INSV Mhadei – Cape to Rio Race

Participated for the second time in the Cape to Rio Race, with a novice crew, including, for the first time in the country, a woman naval officer.

(Photo credit Trevor Wilkins)

2013 – INSV Mhadei – Goa to Cape Town

Sailed with a novice crew, including for the first time in the country, a woman naval officer, to participate in the Cape to Rio Race from Cape Town to Rio de Janeiro.

2013 – INSV Mhadei – Mumbai – Kochi – Goa

Sailed with a novice crew from Mumbai to Kochi to welcome STS Lord Nelson, a tall ship specially rigged to enable sailing by differently abled persons.

2012 – SY Suhaili – Le Sables d’Olonne, France to Portsmouth, UK

Sailed with Sir Robin Knox-Johnston on his iconic Suhaili after attending the start of the Vendee Globe 2012.

2011 – INSV Mhadei – Cape to Rio Race

Participated in the Cape to Rio Race with a novice crew. This was the first participation by an Indian boat in a trans-ocean race.

2010 – INSV Mhadei – Goa to Cape Town

Sailed with a novice crew from Goa to participate in the Cape to Rio Race.

2009 to 2010 – INSV Mhadei – Solo Circumnavigation – Mumbai to Mumbai

First Indian Solo Circumnavigation in an Indian built boat, INSV Mhadei, with planned stops at Fremantle, Lyttleton, Port Stanley and Cape Town.

(Photo credit Indian Navy)

2009 – INSV Mhadei – Goa to Mauritius and back

Short handed training voyage to prepare for the solo circumnavigation. Onward leg with one novice crew, return leg solo.

2009 – INSV Mhadei – Goa to Colombo and back

Mhadei’s first long trip, a short handed training voyage to prepare for the solo circumnavigation with one novice crew.

2007 – INSV Sameer – Kochi to Mumbai and back

Training voyage to pepare for the solo circumnavigation with 2 novice crew members.

2003 – INS Tarangini – New York – Chicago – Washington DC

Executive Officer during the ship’s first round the world voyage. Participated in tall ship races organised by the American Sail Training Association in the Great Lakes.