Maiden tells the story of the first all-woman crew to sail in the Whitbread Round the World Race (Credit: TIFF).
The ninth season of TIFF Film Circuit Saint John is off to a fittingly Maritimes start with the 2018 documentary Maiden.
Director Alex Holmes, (House of Saddam) chronicles the remembrances and memories of sailor Tracy Edwards and the all-female international crew who participated in the 1989 Whitbread Round the World Race, (now known as the Ocean Race).
In the boy’s club of open-ocean yacht racing at the time, it was unbelievable to even consider the possibility of a completely female crew.
Edwards, who was twenty-four years old at the time, along with her crew, faced enormous obstacles, from rejection by skittish sponsors to the ever-circling press betting on the women to fail. Nevertheless, they persisted, with Edwards remortgaging her home and buying a secondhand boat which the crew refurbished together.
Over the course of the 32,000 miles global race, the crew and their Maiden yacht captured the hearts and minds of the sailing world and British nation, while shocking the sailing establishment.
Edwards was named a Member of the British Empire and awarded the 1990 Yachtsman of the Year Award – the first woman to be bestowed the honour in its 34-year history.
The moral of the story; underestimate women at one’s own chagrin – and being the fan favourite can be more rewarding than being the winner.
Maiden will be screened for one night only on Wednesday, September 25th. For more information about TIFF Film Circuit Saint John and its screenings, you can check out their website and Facebook page.
