LONDON: Indian Navy ship ' INS Tarangini ' today set sail as a participant in the Tall Ships Races from the UK 's Sunderland port , where it had docked earlier this week.

The ship is on a Lokayan-18 voyage, which will take in 15 ports across 13 countries, and Sunderland marked the seventh, from where it set off for the annual races along with 13 other ships from the UK.

The ship is part of the first training squadron based at Kochi, under the Southern Naval Command of the Indian Navy.

The name 'Tarangini' is derived from the Hindi word 'Tarang', meaning waves, and Tarangini therefore means "the one that rides the waves".

"INS Tarangini is the first ship of the Indian Navy to have circumnavigated the globe in the year 2003-04 and has participated in tall ship races conducted around the world in 2005, 2007 and 2015," an official release said.

"This beautiful ship, in her 21st year of service, is once again ready to create history with Lokayan-18," the statement said.

The name Lokayan is a combination of two Sanskrit words: 'Lokya' meaning worldwide and 'Yana' meaning travel, with the voyage signifying the ship's global journey.

INS Tarangini commenced 'Lokayan-18' on April 10 from Kochi and is set to cover a distance of over 20,000 nautical miles, with a crew of nine officers, 30 officer sea trainees and 43 sailors. The voyage will take seven months.

INS Tarangini is a three-masted 'barque', commissioned in 1997 as a sail training ship for the Indian Navy. It was built in Goa, based on a design by British naval architect Colin Mudie.

"Anyone who aspires to become a seaman must begin by acquiring first-hand knowledge of the wind and waves," the official release said.

Sail Training International organises Tall Ships' Races and regattas, which promote international friendship and understanding between young sailors and the thousands of visitors.

Sunderland, by virtue of its location and rich sailing culture, plays host to the Tall Ship Races.

From the UK, the ship will arrive at Esbjerg, Denmark, next week and after a port halt it will cruise to Stavanger in Norway.

The second race is scheduled from Stavanger to Harlingen in Netherlands, concluding on August 6.

