Maiden 2019

In this compelling documentary, Tracy Edwards unfolds a life shaped by resilience and grit, beginning with a difficult childhood in England. She loses her father to a heart attack when she is ten, and her mother’s remarriage to an abusive alcoholic forces the family to move to Wales. After being expelled from school at sixteen, she leaves home, wandering across Europe until she reaches Greece, where she becomes a stewardess aboard a yacht and learns to sail on the route to the Americas. Her growing passion for the Whitbread Round the World Race takes hold, and a chance encounter with King Hussein of Jordan inspires her to sign on as a cook and the sole woman on a crew in the 1985-86 edition of the race.

Following that experience, Edwards declares an ambitious goal: an all-female crew for the next edition, the 1989-90 Whitbread Round the World Race. The film captures the international crew’s memories of their involvement, alongside the daunting challenge of securing a sponsor who could provide the essential funding—about a million pounds. To turn the dream into reality, she mortgages her home to buy a second-hand yacht, renames it Maiden, and remortgages the vessel to cover refitting, much of which is carried out by the crew themselves. King Hussein then steps in to help arrange sponsorship from Royal Jordanian Airlines. Despite an early setback—the Fastnet race is abandoned after an injury forces the dismissal of their first mate—Edwards presses on, serving as both skipper and navigator.

The voyage that follows brings remarkable results. Maiden finishes third in the first leg from England to Uruguay, but then dominates the second and third legs through the brutal Southern Ocean toward Australia and New Zealand, finishing first and drawing worldwide praise. On the fourth leg back to Uruguay, the yacht begins taking on water, requiring repairs that push the fifth leg to Florida, where they finish third. The final leg back to England is hampered by a lack of wind, yet Maiden ultimately places second in the race, a triumph that earns the crew widespread admiration and helps open doors for more women in sailing and other sports. The film closes on a high note as Edwards is honored with the Yachtsman of the Year Trophy, a testament to perseverance and pioneering spirit.

This documentary not only chronicles a race but also chronicles a breakthrough, highlighting the personal sacrifices, the tireless teamwork, and the broader impact of a woman-led crew breaking new ground on the world stage.