Capt. Vivek Shanbhag, the Honorary Secretary of the Royal Madras Yacht Club, has planned and led a “1000 kms All police women expedition”, to comemorate 50 years of women in TN Police, on June 10. The idea was put forth by the DGP Dr.C.Sylendra Babu, IPS.
The DGP is a fitness freak and known for his outdoor activities, and is an inspiration and role model to the young and old.
He wanted to commemorate the 50 years of women in TN Police in a spectacular way by doing something which was never done before. A “1000 kms All police women expedition” was shortlisted.
Capt. Vivek Shanbhag, the Honorary Secretary of the Royal Madras Yacht Club was asked to prepare and plan the expedition. Twenty-five women among hundreds of volunteers from Tamilnadu Women Police were selected on the basis of their swimming and running skills.
RMYC is the only club in the country having a fleet of J/80 sailing boats certified for offshore sailing, and has been promoting sailing all over the coast of Tamil Nadu. The Captain conducted rigorous training at RMYC in both basic skills and advanced sailing skills.
Capt. Vivek Shanbhag, the expedition leader, planned the route meticulously identifying ports and studying the weather. The route selected was Chennai – Pulicat – Point Calimere and back to Chennai. Ports enroute for night halts were Kamarajar Port Limited, Cuddalore Port, Karaikal Port, Puducherry and SurfTurf.
The Minister of Youth Welfare and Sports Development, Udayanidhi Stalin, flagged off the expedition in a very impressive ceremony with water scooters leading and a helicopter hovering above. ADGP Bala Naga Devi, IPS, along with women IGs, DIGs and SPs sailed the first and the last leg of the expedition displaying true leadership qualities.
The expedition was successfully completed on June 17, and is recorded as the longest sailing expedition by police women by the London Book of World Records.
Capt. Vivek Shanbhag narrates the experience: There was a lot of excitement among the women, being their first offshore expedition. Sailing was from morning to late evenings with minimal halts at Ports during the night. The relentless sun was tiring out the sailors but they endured it bravely. Light snacks, fruits and juices were on board. The Coastal Security Group gave us a pleasant surprise by delivering hot vadas and rose milk in the midseas just before sunset, enroute to Cuddalore. This boosted the morale of the crew and was great fun too. On the 3rd day, the boats encountered some rain and lightning and the crew worked as a team navigating through the weather. Near point Calimere the winds were strong with high waves and currents and the crew demonstrated their new skills with great confidence. On the return leg a couple of huge whales accompanied the boats and were an impressive sight with their huge bodies gliding through the sea and spouting water.
The Indian Coast Guard played a vital role in ensuring the safety of the boats with their tracking systems. Boats were equipped with VHF sets and satellite phones and the trackers gave a live display to everyone on the ground who logged onto the app.
The DGP received the women on their arrival and distributed certificates to all the sailors and the support teams.
The police women carried with them a once in a lifetime experience which they would treasure and share with their offsprings. The TN police conducts such regular activities among their forces to inculcate a spirit of adventure and build confidence and teamwork.
The Yacht Club can be reached at [email protected], for sailing classes and expeditions.
