The are many famous sailing stories that have enchanted and inspired sailors and stirred their longing to go to sea. Most are tales of triumph over the challenges of the sea and end with safe landfalls. But one sailing story stands out from the rest and is more like a Greek tragedy than a sea story, full of delusions, deceptions and demons. The Strange Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst was a best seller and now the tale has been made into a movie staring Colin Firth. Here’s an article published in The Mirror that tells the real-life story behind new film The Mercy: How sailor’s lies about epic voyage around the world led to a tragic end.
When inventor and sailing enthusiast Donald Crowhurst convinced himself he could complete the arduous Golden Globe Race, he began down a path that would take him to the edge of madness and ultimately his untimely death. The deluded Crowhurst was an inventor by profession and his bid to win a round-the-world yacht race turned into the biggest fabrication of all. He convinced himself that he could triumph but his crazy attempt would never, not in a million years, be plain sailing. For while weekend boater Crowhurst had a passion for sailing his sloop, he was no ocean-going expert and his leaky vessel was barely seaworthy. When it was obvious his mission was doomed – and faced with mounting financial worries – he resorted to cheating. Read more.
