Bay Harbour: January 09, 2025

Thursday <strong>January</strong> 9 <strong>2025</strong> <strong>Bay</strong> <strong>Harbour</strong> News<br />

Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz<br />

NEWS 9<br />

Sailors embark on toughest leg<br />

of bid to circumnavigate globe<br />

• By Tom Blessen<br />

TWO FEMALE sailors from<br />

the Indian Navy left Lyttelton<br />

on Sunday for Port Stanley<br />

in the Falkland Islands – the<br />

longest leg of their attempt to<br />

circumnavigate the globe.<br />

The South Island’s Indian<br />

community bid farewell to<br />

Lieutenant commanders Roopa<br />

K and Dilna K and the crew<br />

of the 17m-long Indian Naval<br />

Sailing Vessel Tarini.<br />

“This is the longest leg<br />

of the expedition, covering<br />

approximately 10,400km,”<br />

India’s Defence Ministry said in<br />

a statement.<br />

INSV Tarini arrived in<br />

Lyttelton on December 22 after a<br />

28-day journey from Fremantle,<br />

Australia, that spanned about<br />

6500km.<br />

The expedition started in Goa<br />

on October 2.<br />

During their stay in New<br />

Zealand, the crew conducted<br />

repairs and maintenance on the<br />

vessel, focusing on preparations<br />

for the challenging upcoming<br />

leg.<br />

“The vessel will be crossing the<br />

South Pacific, pass through the<br />

treacherous Drake Passage and<br />

SET SAIL: Lieutenant commanders Roopa K and Dilna K and crew aboard the Tarini were<br />

farewelled in Lyttelton on Sunday.<br />

PHOTOS: RNZ<br />

cross Cape Horn to reach Port<br />

Stanley,” the ministry said.<br />

About 50 members of the<br />

Indian community attended the<br />

farewell ceremony, including<br />

Christchurch Multicultural<br />

Council president Surinder<br />

Tandon.<br />

“I was fortunate to see INSV<br />

Tarini back in 2017 and now<br />

again in 2024,” Tandon said.<br />

In December 2017, a six-member<br />

crew led by Lieutenant Commander<br />

Vartika Joshi docked in<br />

Lyttelton for two weeks, sharing<br />

India’s maritime history.<br />

“It’s incredibly inspiring to<br />

witness these brave sailors – not<br />

just as role models for women,<br />

but for everyone,” Tandon said.<br />

Two naval officers from India,<br />

including retired Commander<br />

Abhilash Tomy, were also present<br />

at the farewell ceremony.<br />

Tomy, the first Indian to complete<br />

a solo, non-stop circumnavigation<br />

of the globe, had been a<br />

mentor to the crew.<br />

The Indian High Commission<br />

in Wellington said the officers<br />

had been preparing for this expedition<br />

for three years.<br />

Lieutenant commanders<br />

Roopa K and Dilna K had<br />

received training under Tomy’s<br />

guidance.<br />

“The circumnavigation of<br />

INSV Tarini is a significant<br />

milestone in India’s ocean sailing<br />

enterprise, showcasing the<br />

nation’s maritime capabilities<br />

and commitment to gender<br />

equality on the high seas,” the<br />

high commission said.<br />

The expedition aimed to<br />

cover about 40,000km over eight<br />

months aboard the vessel.<br />

After Port Stanley, the crew<br />

plans to sail to Cape Town, South<br />

Africa, before returning to Goa.<br />

– RNZ<br />

Charteris<br />

<strong>Bay</strong> Rd<br />

upgrade<br />

under way<br />

WORK HAS started to rebuild<br />

a section of Charteris <strong>Bay</strong><br />

Rd, which has reached the<br />

end of its life and needs to be<br />

strengthened.<br />

The road will be reduced to<br />

one lane until work is expected<br />

to be completed by <strong>January</strong> 17.<br />

The city council said there<br />

will be delays of up to 20min<br />

between 8am-4pm until Friday.<br />

It said the work will be disruptive<br />

and is asking for “patience<br />

and understanding”. It is also<br />

asking for users to obey the temporary<br />

traffic measures in place.<br />

The city council said the work<br />

has been scheduled during the<br />

holiday period when there is<br />

less commuter traffic and no<br />

school traffic to cause the least<br />

disruption overall.<br />

Summer<br />

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until stocks last. Terms and conditions apply.<br />

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www.flooringxtra.co.nz