Dilip Donde's circumnavigation makes him India's latest hero

by Nancy Knudsen, Editor on 27 May 2010 In sailing adventure news this week, Dilip Donde, an Indian naval officer, has just sailed into Mumbai at the end of the first complete world circumnavigation by an Indian national.

There's no doubt that the country, with its fast improving standard of living, is becoming more yachting conscious, and the purchase of yachts by the newly affluent is growing. Kochi has just opened India's first full-service marina and there are more planned. With a long luscious coastline and fascinating culture on land, it could soon be a very attractive cruising ground for wandering Australian yachts - after all, it's just a short sail from Darwin.

One of the best arts of seamanship is anticipation and preparation, and this week's thoroughly grim story of the flying gybe that caused the freak injuries to a sailor 1400 miles out from Mexico in the Pacific is worth reading for the lessons we can all use.

Ian Thomson in his bid to be the fastest solo circumnavigator of Australia has passed into the Southern Ocean, and there's a mere 3,000 miles to go! If you want to read the whole story, we're publishing earlier updates at the bottom of the news stories.

With dozens of cruising sailors now negotiating the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, ISAF is taking seriously its efforts to let all sailors thinking of making the passage the dangers and recommended protocol. We publish another guideline this week.

If you've ever considered getting your boat to a dreamy cruising destination without having to sail there, read Ian and Andrea Treleaven's experiences with Dockwise – it's all good.

In practical news our Product of the Week is a GPS boat tracking system that's now affordable, and there's a new book out from Wiley on 'The Rules of the Road' – something more attractively presented than your normal COLREGS publication. Telstra has launched some marine maps for NextG, and we'd love some feedback if you're out there using a NextG dongle for your communications.

Much much more too, so browse down the stories to see what interests you.

Sweet sailing!