Life of Patil

How many of us characterise ourselves as someone as adventurous, someone who wants to leave behind everything and just travel the world? How many of us actually achieve it? It's no picnic leaving behind worldly pleasures but here is the tale of the first Asian woman who went 'around the world in 490 days way back in 1987 in a yacht.

Ujwala Patil in her yachting. Image Source: tikkustravelthon.in

Ujwala Patil Dhar was born in a family of farmers in Karanjawde Sanjli. Youngest of the seven siblings, she was by far the most adventurous person in the family. Since childhood, she got involved in rifle shooting, rock climbing, mountaineering and flying. But her real passion became the sea when her friend introduced her to yachting. She continued higher studies and graduated in economics and later did a diploma in journalism keeping her adventurous side alive.

The woman was a natural at sports especially shooting. She won more than 150 medals in shooting by participating at the State level, National level and even pre Olympic trials.

She took her first long-distance sailing rendezvous at the age of 23 in 1978 where she sailed from Mumbai to Colombo in mere 24 days in an open sailboat. While she was sailing back in 1979 from England to Mumbai she experienced the worst horror for a sailor. Her yacht hit a reef and began sinking. The navigation equipment failed due to technical glitches. She quickly prepared a life raft threw it in the waters and jumped on it as her yacht sank. For 4 days she survived with barely any food or water till a Norwegian ship rescued her. However, she sailed from England to Mumbai in 1981 again through the Suez Canal.

It's hard to exactly pinpoint what it is that people achieve by living on the edge. The fear of something going horribly wrong couldn't stop her from going back to the sea. The sea was her calling, reaching for the line where the sea met the sky was her aim. She wasn't ready to give up her destiny.

On 13th June 1987, she embarked on a journey across the entire globe, this time with the government of India funding her. She started from Mumbai with 3 crew members on her yacht, Jaykus-III. Ujwala was the navigator. On this very day, 15th October 1988, Jaykus-III touched the Gateway of India completing the journey across the world of over 24,000 nautical miles. Ujwala created history by becoming the first Indian and Asian woman to sail across the world.

A calm ocean is a sight to behold. Astonishingly, something that looks so calm in a moment can turn so violent that it will ravage anything in its way. While travelling in the Pacific, Patil and her crew caught the majestic ocean in one of her bad moods. Stuck in between a bad storm and heavy winds, the yacht was going to capsize under the massive waves. She and her crew members quickly got to work. They knew if the yacht capsized there would be no saving them. Pacific doesn't give another chance. Crawling up to the top of the yacht which was almost perpendicular to the ground they cut the main rope releasing the sail. Releasing the air from the sail made the yacht return to a horizontal position sailing them out of the storm.

Another trouble awaited them at Cartagena, Spain when they were leaving the harbour. This time it was a Sandstrom. Ujwala noticed the different formations of the clouds towards the horizon they were sailing. From the navigation books she studied, she realised it was a sandstorm that was awaiting them. The captain didn't want to return back but after countless persuasions from her, they made their way to harbour. As they were docking a murderous sandstorm at the speed of 120 miles per hour struck. Countless damaged yachts came back returning that night.

The saying 'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger' must be true at some level because Ujwala came back to India stronger than ever. She was awarded Padma Shri in 1991 by the government of India. She continues to inspire not only women but everyone around the world to reach for what they want.

Ujwala's sailing path across the globe. Image source: tikkustravelthon.in