The Indian Navy’s second sailboat, INSV Tarini, was inducted into service on Saturday and will be sailed by an all-women crew. The “First Indian All Women Circumnavigation of the Globe” is slated to begin in August 2017, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba said at the ceremony.

Lieutenant Commander Vartika Joshi will be the captain of the vessel. Other crew members include Lieutenant Aishwarya Boddapati, Lieutenant Vijaya Devi, Lieutenant Commander Pratibha Jamwal, Lieutenant Payal Gupta and Lieutenant Patarapalli Swathi. The team carrying out the expedition has covered a voyage from India to Mauritius and back, and Goa to Cape Town “braving through rough monsoon seas and heavy winds”, the navy said in a statement.

The ceremony was held at the INS Mandovi Boat Pool and along with Admiral Lanba, other senior Naval Officers were also present. After the ceremony, the crew sailed the boat out of the harbour to display INSV Tarini’s capabilities. Extensive trials of the boat were completed on January 30.

The Indian Navy is operating four sailboats – Tarangini, Sudarshini, Mhadei and Tarini – which will be capable of open ocean deployments, the statement said. All four vessels have been built at shipyards in Goa. The Navy is also looking to induct four 40 feet, state-of-the-art open ocean racing sailboats, the statement added.