PANAJI: Few places on this planet test a sailor’s mettle like Cape Horn, the southern tip of South America. It is where the might of the southern ocean meets the unyielding cliffs of Tierra del Fuego, waters feared and revered by mariners. To round the horn under sail is to step into an elite club of seafarers – a league that lieutenant commanders Dilna K and Roopa A sailed into on Valentine’s Day.
Their date with Cape Horn was by no means smooth sailing. Continuous rainfall, 40-knot winds, towering five-metre waves, and treacherous weather gave the two officers a memory of a lifetime. “For the past few years, this is the moment we had been waiting for. It feels incredible to have successfully rounded Cape Horn,” Roopa said.
While the duo battled the elements onboard INSV Tarini, on the other side of the planet, their mentor commander Abhilash Tomy (retd) had his own share of sleepless nights, reliving his battle with the southern ocean. “It is a big stress off my head. In the first two legs, I was not monitoring them too much, but during this leg, I was monitoring them every hour,” said Tomy.
Cape Horn is more than a waypoint on a chart. It is a rite of passage, with weather-beaten mariners often quipping that “below 40°, there is no law. Below 50°, there is no God”. The Horn is situated 800km from Antarctica, making it one of the closest land points to the icy continent. The journey through this region not only requires exceptional navigational expertise but also resilience to the harsh conditions of the southern ocean. “We proudly fly our flag here at Cape Horn,” said Dilna.
Rounding Cape Horn required INSV Tarini and its two courageous crew members to navigate through the Drake Passage – named after English explorer Sir Francis Drake, who confirmed the existence of an open sea route south of South America. “This passage takes sailors through the Drake Passage, a treacherous waterway known for its extreme winds, towering waves, and unpredictable weather. The conditions in this region test even the most experienced mariners, making their successful passage a significant achievement,” the Indian Navy said.
The two women officers have now earned themselves the esteemed title of ‘cape horners’, a designation traditionally given to elite group of seafarers who have successfully navigated Cape Horn under sail. They now carry a distinction very few Indians can claim. They have joined the ranks of Captain Dilip Donde, Tomy, and the six naval women officers who were part of Navika Sagar Parikrama-I.
“At Cape Horn, they got the worst weather in their sailing experience. Winds of 30 knots gusting to 40 knots. Temperatures were at 2-3°, and if you take into account wind speeds, you are talking about sub-zero temps. It’s the longest they have sailed in such conditions,” said Tomy.
Having rounded the Horn under sail, after facing nature’s wrath and coming out unscathed with INSV Tarini in good shape, the yacht has once again proved its ability. And while Tomy has stopped pacing about in dread, a sigh of relief has also been let out by Ratnakar Dandekar, who built the yacht at Divar.