Tarangini sets sail on overseas voyage

Kochi, Jan 10 (UNI) Indian Navy's only sail-training ship, INS Tarangini, today set sail to participate in the Tail Ships Challenge Series-2007' organised by the American Sail Training Association (ASTA) on the Atlantic Coast of North America.

According to a Navy spokesperson, the ship, which embarked on a 10-month long voyage captained by Commander Sunil Balakrishnan, has a crew of seven officers, 43 sailors and 39 cadets, including eight cadets of the Coast Guard.

The ship would transit through the Suez Canal to reach the Atlantic Coast of North America in early May where she would participate in a series of Tall Ship events such as 'The World Peace Cup,' 'Sail Virginia,' 'Sail Rhode Island,' Sail Boston' and attend the 50th anniversary celebrations of international programme of the Naval War College at New Port, Rhode Island, he said.

During the voyage, besides permanent crew of the ship, 255 Indian naval cadets and 40 foreign cadets would embark the ship in groups at various ports.

The ship would be calling at 23 ports in 16 countries covering about 20,000 nautical miles. Only 27 navies of the world operate sail-training ships, including 15 in Europe, five in Latin America and three in Asia, he added.

INS Tarangini is the first commissioned ship in the Indian Navy to have circumnavigated the globe in 2003-04. With the theme of 'Building Bridges of Friendship across the Oceans,' Tarangini called at 37 ports in 18 countries covering 34,923 nautical miles.

At the departure ceremony, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief VAdm J S Bedi and Senior Officer of First Training Squadron Captain K K Pandey were present.

UNI