Abhilash Tomy: A lodestar in the night sky

Source: The New Indian Express
Author: Ronnie Kuriakose

KOCHI: The sailor's journey is a lone odyssey. Yet, in the vast, ceaseless churning of the oceans, when ethereal whispers of the wind are the only company, a sailor turns his gaze to the sky. Amidst the celestial ballet, he seeks that unceasing shimmer of a lodestar, the brightest in the sky.

For former naval officer Cdr Abhilash Tomy, who scripted history in April 2023 by becoming the only Asian to finish the Golden Globe Race, considered the holy grail of sailing, this star is family. When Cdr Abhilash battled the elements at sea, his wife Urmimala steered a different ship at home -- juggling the kids, her career as an artist, and also finding time to engage a now-growing community of admirers and sailing enthusiasts bitten by the 'Titanium Tomy' bug. She was his biggest cheerleader, the constant wind in the sails.

Now, as Cdr Abhilash celebrates his 45th birthday, Urmimala has the perfect gift for him -- a star, like the one that guided him when he sailed, in the Aquarius constellation. "It is 22h 16m and 50s East of the First Point of Aries, declination 7deg 46' 59.7. I'm speechless," Cdr Abhilash wrote in a post.