All-women Indian defence crew triumphs in historic Cape Town voyage

IASV Triveni crew members on the dock at the Royal Cape Yacht Club following months at sea on their all-women sailing expedition. AFTER months battling some of the world’s harshest oceans, an all-women crew from India’s armed forces has docked in Cape Town, as they prepare for the final leg of a historic circumnavigation voyage back to Mumbai. Sailing aboard the Indian Army Sailing Vessel (IASV) Triveni, the six officers, drawn from the Indian Navy, Army, and Air Force, have already covered more than 23 000 nautical miles since departing Mumbai on September 11, 2025.

Their journey, flagged off by India’s Defence Minister, has taken them across three continents with stopovers in Australia, New Zealand, and Argentina. Now docked at the Royal Cape Yacht Club for maintenance, the crew is preparing to depart Cape Town on May 11 for the final two-month stretch home. The Indian Army Sailing Vessel (IASV) Triveni at sea during India’s all-women tri-services circumnavigation expedition.

The all-women crew of IASV Triveni celebrate their arrival in Cape Town after months at sea on a global circumnavigation mission. For Lieutenant Commander Priyanka Gusain of the Indian Navy, the journey has been about far more than just distance. “This journey has been very unique and full of learning experiences.

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It has represented the spirit of women, a crew charting their own course across tough oceans in the world,” she said. “People asked us why we are going for such an adventure with so much risk, but we realised that nature, the ocean, does not recognise gender, only your grit, determination, your emotional and psychological endurance.” Wing Commander Vibha Singh described the experience as deeplytransformative.

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