The Indian Army's first all-women sailing expedition team completes their journey

By: WE Staff | Thursday, 24 February 2022

Officials say the Indian Army's first all-women sailing mission completed its journey and returned to the city on Wednesday.

On February 15, Governor of Telangana and Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry Tamilisai Soundararajan formally inaugurated the event, which was organised by the Army's Electronics and Mechanical Engineering (EME) Sailing Association under the auspices of the Southern Command Sailing Node, EME Sailing Association, and Army Adventure Wing.

The expedition crew returned to the Chennai Port Trust on Wednesday after completing their arduous journey on the Chennai Nizampatnam-Vizag-Nizampatnam-Chennai route, according to a news statement.

Major General S S Dahiya, Chief of Staff, Dakshin Bharat Area, launched off the expedition at the Chennai Port Trust and praised the EME Sailing Association and the Army Adventure Wing for their efforts.

The voyage would not only promote sailing as a pastime, but it would also encourage young women to don the olive greens and serve their country, according to Dahiya.

Major Mukta Gautam of the Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME) led the expedition, which included Major Priya Semwal, Priya Das, Rashmil Sangwan, Arpita Dwivedi, and Sanjana Mittal, as well as Captain Jyoti Singh, Malvika Rawat, Shubham Solanki, and Sonal Goyal from the Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME).

"The officers were trained in blue water sailing and watermanship under the tutelage of EME Sailing Association and HBTC Marve, before embarking on the expedition," the release said.

Throughout the mission, the Navy and Coast Guard offered support by following the squad and providing essential aid.

The expedition's logistics were handled by the Dakshin Bharat Area headquarters. Balaji Arun Kumar, the Deputy Chairman of the Chennai Port Trust, as well as officials from the Navy and the Coast Guard, were in attendance.

According to the press release, the expedition's success is yet another step toward women's empowerment and continued efforts to strengthen the position of female officers in the Army.

Over the previous two decades, the EME Sailing Association has organised a series of offshore sailing adventures, including the Mumbai-Kochi expedition in 2009, the Mumbai-Goa-Mumbai expedition in 2017, and the Indian Peninsula Offshore Sailing expedition in 2018.