Sailing is magical with its breathless beauty and inspiring the mind and soul. The pure exhilaration of testing yourself with the elements. Sailing is one of the unique sports where you compete against yourself, in a select league with skiing, backpacking, cycling, climbing, paddling, fishing, hunting, running, and golf.
There are several good movies about sailing. I have not selected thriller sailing films about being lost at sea. Rather, the following films are about the pure experience of sailing and sail racing.
Wind
Wind, 1992, a movie about racing in the 1987 America’s Cup race off of Freemantle, Australia. The film is a fictional, dramatic romance -adventure account of the American team winning back the America’s Cup from Australia. The race scenes in the movie are re-enactments of actual events in the race. The movie stars Matthew Modine, Jennifer Grey, Cliff Robertson, and Stellen Skarsgard.
Maiden Trip
Maiden Trip, 2013, a true life story of the 14 year old Laura Dekker of the Netherlands who accomplished a two-year sailing voyage to become the youngest person ever to sail around the world alone. The trip took place over 518 days from 2010 to 2011. The voyage began from Portugal to the Caribbean, passed through the Panama Canal and on to Indonesia and Australia, to then round Africa and return to Portugal. She was 16 when it ended. Dekker spent the first five years of her life sailing at sea with her family.
Turning Tide
Turning Tide (En Solitaire) 2013, French movie about Yann Kermadec, played by Francois Cluzet, racing in the daring 24,000 mile Vendee Globe single person round-the-world sailing race. The Vendee Globe begins and ends in France. He was in first place but had to stop for damaged rudder repairs and unknowingly gains a young immigrant stow-away played by Sang Seghir.
Red Dot on the Ocean
Red Dot on the Ocean, 2014, a true life story about 30 year old Matt Rutherford who sailed from Annapolis, Maryland to brave harsh weather and the iceberg ridden Artic Ocean. He was the only person ever to sail alone, non-stop around the America’s, a 27,000 mile trip done in 309 days.
Morning Light
Morning Light, 2008, true life story of the youngest crew who competed in the 44th Transpacific Yacht Race from Los Angeles to Honolulu aboard a TP52 class sailing yacht. The 15 person crew’s ages were 18 to 23. The film follows the formation of the crew, their training, and the week long sailing race.
Between Home: an Odyssey of an Unusual Sea Bandit
Between Home, 2012, is a true life story about Nick Jaffe’s ocean sailing journey from Europe to Australia. A high spirited young person’s rites of passage from novice sailor to expert your dares to follow his dream.
Maiden
Maiden, 2018, a true story about Tracy Edwards and the first all-women crew in the 1989-1990 Whitebread Round the World Race. The critically acclaimed film is a first rate drama with enthralling sail racing and nail biting competition. Edward’s was sponsored by her employer the King Hussain of Jordon’s Royal Jordanian Airlines. The team took second place and received international acclaim. Tracy Edwards was awaeded with the coveted Yachtsman of the Year Aard.
