Oceans changing for the worse, says Indian sailor after round-the-world race

Retired naval officer Abhilash Tomy finished second in the Golden Globe Race by circumnavigating the world

Indian sailor Abhilash Tomy on the Bayanat, two days before the start of the Golden Globe Race, in Les Sables-d'Olonne, western France. All photos unless otherwise stated: AFP

Tomy finished second after arriving back in France having spent 236 days at sea. Photo: Bayanat

Use of any technology invented after 1968 is not allowed in the solo race.

The Bayanat carried race number 71 and the UAE ensign as a tribute to the Emirates’ founding in 1971

Tomy sails in a different boat

Tomy on board the mono-hull Bayanat, in which he sailed around the world

An Indian sailor who completed a gruelling 236-day solo race around the world with no technological support said he saw first-hand the devastating impact of climate change on our oceans.

“I have been to the sea three times in the past 10 years in attempted circumnavigations. I can tell you that the sea is changing for the worse,” Commander Abhilash Tomy, a retired naval officer, told The National soon after he finished second in the prestigious Golden Globe Race on Saturday.

“I had sunburn close to New Zealand, which is supposed to be cold. I have seen at least one cyclone a week, which is, again, strange,” he said, after sailing 236 days non-stop.

The boat, a Rustler 36, is an 11-metre UAE-registered boat called the Bayanat — named after the Abu Dhabi-based geospatial AI solutions provider, which sponsored the vessel.

I can tell you that the sea is changing for the worse

Commander Abhilash Tomy

It carried the race number 71 and the UAE ensign as a tribute to the Emirates’ founding in 1971.

Mr Tomy said he also saw albatrosses and flying fish in unexpected locations, a sign that warming waters are forcing species to hunt longer and at farther distances for food.

“Things are changing and it is not good," he said.

The race, considered one of the world’s toughest, started on September 4, 2022, from Les Sables-d'Olonne in France, with 16 sailors from 11 countries. Only two of them have managed to finish the journey so far, with one contender still sailing.

Mr Tomy arrived back in Les Sables d'Olonne on Saturday, finishing runner-up to South African sailor Kirsten Neuschafer, the only woman to participate.

After being welcomed by his team at the finish line, Mr Tomy said he was “incredibly relieved”.

“This is the only time an Asian skipper has had a podium finish in any round-the-world race. I am happy to be the face of it,” said Mr Tomy, who also attempted the race in 2018.

His boat was battered by a violent storm in the Indian Ocean and he was left with a broken spine, which almost ended his sailing career. But the veteran sailor persisted, now with a titanium rod in his spine.

“After the accident, things looked a bit difficult and you got a lot of demons to fight. Bayanat has broken a big mental hurdle for me and I am grateful to them for bringing me back into the race.”

Sailing without technology

The treacherous 30,000-nautical-mile race around the world was the ultimate test of resilience and skill, as Mr Tomy had to battle his way through fierce storms and months of solitude, all while coping with significant damage to his boat.

The rules of the race meant he could only use 1968 technology such as a compass and navigation charts, so Mr Tomy had to calculate the angle and height of the sun and carry out a series of spherical trigonometric calculations to figure out his position in the sea. He also predicted the weather using a barometer.

“And that is just a normal day. But other days, you have a little bit of flooding in the boat, and water needs to be pumped out, or you have injured your back and cannot walk properly, or a boat has come off the spreader and you have to climb the mast.”

Staying the course

According to the sailor, his success was down to having the right attitude.

“You know, pulling back when you need to," he said. "Pushing when you need to and the ability to work 26 hours non-stop followed by a good break and stuff like that.”

While there were days when he managed only an hour of sleep, he could take longer breaks when the sea was calm.

Life at sea meant that food and water were limited and could even run out.

“I had cooked chicken and pulses that lasted for eight months. But I was cooking rice, too. If I am running out of water, I had to learn how to cook without using water.”

Eight months at sea, he said, has helped him realise how little he needs to survive. “You realise one can lead a very Spartan life without AC, a fan or cars.

“If I have to repair or replace my guard rail or wind pilot, I cannot stop at an ATM and withdraw money. So, what you have and learning to live with it is very important.”

However, the most challenging aspect was not being able to connect with his wife.

“I missed talking to my wife. The rules [of the race] did not permit me to call her in any way. And I had to catch hold of ships and send messages as a one-way communication.

“And I always did. Just because I am doing the race, I do not stop being a husband, a father or son.”

Ocean Photographer of the Year 2022: in pictures

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Third place overall, Brook Peterson, from the US. A cormorant dives through a huge school of baitfish, creating a series of shapes that mimic that of a human face.

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Second place, Ocean Adventure Photographer of the Year, Franco Banfi, from Dominica. A freediver swims with a matriarchal pod of five sperm whales.

Third place, Ocean Adventure Photographer of the Year, Martin Broen, from Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. A diver moves through an abandoned sinkhole-like cenote, like floating through a haunted forest.

First place, Conservation Photographer of the Year (HOPE), Nicolas Remy, from Australia. An aggregation of critically endangered grey nurse sharks off the coast of New South Wales.

Second place, Conservation Photographer of the Year (HOPE), Andreas Schmid, from the Maldives. A pink whipray swims amid schooling bannerfish.

Third place, Conservation Photographer of the Year (HOPE), Renee Capozzola, from Hawaii. Three green sea turtles gather under the sun in Maui.

Second place, Conservation Photographer of the Year (IMPACT), Rafael Fernandez Caballero, from Mexico. A dead sperm whale, beached and bloody, its tail showing signs of entanglement.

Third place, Conservation Photographer of the Year (IMPACT), Dmitry Kokh, from Russia. Polar bears make a ‘home’ of an abandoned station on Kolyuchin Island.

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Second place, Human Connection Award, Simon Lorenz, from Sri Lanka. A dive guide cuts an Olive Ridley turtle free from plastic debris.

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Winner, Portfolio, Matty Smith. A humpback whale calf visits the surface to breathe.

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Second place, Young Ocean Photographer of the Year, Nicolas Hahn, from Mexico. An orca mother and calf play in the open ocean.

Third place, Young Ocean Photographer of the Year, Julian Jacobs, from the US. A juvenile brown pelican surveys the choppy shallows.