Indian Naval Ship (INS) Tarangini, set off from Sunderland port on Saturday July 14 with 55 other ships from 16 different countries for the Tall Ships Race 2018.
The INS Tarangini sailed into Sunderland Port for the first time with their crew members dancing on the high masts as they arrived.
Captain Rahul Mehta steered the Class A ship out from the River Wear at 1.oopm en route to Denmark for a few days, before they set off for the second leg of the race from Stavanger in Norway to Harlingen in The Netherlands, which is the location for the finish line on August 6.
Project Officer and Chief Liaison Officer for Tall Ships 2018, Ian Flannery, explained how Sunderland Council has made it possible for the INS Tarangini, and the ships from other countries, to come into Sunderland Port for the race.
He said: “The port is owned by the council. The port director and the harbour master are both council employees so they have been key stakeholders from the start.
“We worked with the University Of Sunderland for land on St. Peters, they have been very helpful and it’s a really nice place.”
The INS Tarangini, and all the other ships representing their countries, docked on the Wear next to the university’s St Peter’s Campus before setting off for the race.
Senior Crew member, Kailash Joshi, from Delhi has been serving on different ships for eight years, and on the INS Tarangini for one and a half years. He commented on how the INS Tarangini adds to the Indian heritage.
“This ship is like a small India. The Indian community on this ship is from all different parts of India.
“The name, Tarang means riding on the waves. This name is decided by the Indian Naval Headquarters.”
Commodore Sameer Saxena, Naval Advisor at the High Commission of India, was in Sunderland and explained how this ship fits into the Tall Ships Race.
He said: “The INS Tarangini is the elder ship of the sister ship, Sudarshani, but both of these ships have been built to a British design. This is one of the reasons, it is taking part in the race.”
Lieutenant Commander Navigating Officer of the INS Tarangini ship, Ricky Pereira, has worked on this ship since May 2017, and explained the lifestyle of sail training.
Ricky Pereira said: “People volunteer on the Tarangini ship to see how it feels to live and work on this ship.
“The crew need to experience and see if they can adapt to challenging and basic lifestyle. So if you want to live this hard life, you have to decide it for yourself.
“You have to remove people’s fear of heights, because their safety is important on the ship,” he added.
The Tarangini is 21-years-old and has three masts which are 33m high and the length of the ship is 42.8m.
During the Race, all ships will have their engines turned off, and crews will use their sails and manoeuvring of the wheel to help the ship move forward.
Commodore Sameer Saxena said: “This is the amazing thing. Everyone will be in the same geographical position, at the start.
“Everyone will have the same wind currents to face, but the challenge is, to use your own individual strategies and the best courses to steer.
“It’s your understanding of the elements and how to use them to your advantage.”
The ship has visited seven ports since April and the crew has an aim to travel to 13 countries and 15 different ports by November this year, and they are all excited and proud to be part of the crew.
Lt Cmdr Pereira said: “We are flying the India flag with pride.
“We are trying to strengthen the bond of friendship with other people, every time we visit different countries.”
Talking about the diversity and unity of crews throughout the event, Ian Flannery said: “The Tall Ships [Race] broadens people’s horizons, and sometimes people get to meet other people from 17 different nationalities in one ship — I think that was a record.”
The Captain, the Naval Advisor and the Crew wishes everyone good luck throughout the Tall Ships Race 2018.