A decade after his solo mission circumnavigating the globe non-stop on a boat powered by winds, 43-year-old Kochi resident and former naval officer Abhilash Tomy on Saturday wrote himself into record books when he finished second in what is billed as the most toughest and dangerous - the Golden Globe Race (GGR).
He has become the first Asian to have achieved this feat.
Tomy took 236 days and was among the 16 who set sail and he finished second when his boat- Bayanat reached the French Coast at 10.30 am IST.
Only two, including Tomy, have completed the race which saw him circumnavigate more than 48,000 kms in the high seas.
Also Read| Dortmund drop points at relegation threatened Bochum in Bundesliga
Incidentally, this feat was achieved by him after his previous attempt had to be aborted six years back when he suffered a serious injury.
Watching the news was his father V.C.Tomy, also a retired naval officer, said this time his only advice to him was just try to complete the race.
"I had told him not to be worried about the position, instead complete the race and that has happened and am really excited and happy," said his father.
Tomy added that it's been over eight months since his son began this enduring trip and there has been no contact with him, but everyday he used to sleep only after reading the daily update report of the race from the organisers.
